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LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON.     N.    J. 


Presented  by 


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A. 

COMMENTARY 


ON    THE 


HOLY  SCRIPTURES: 

CRITICAL,  DOCTRINAL  AND  HOMILETICAL, 

WITH  SPECIAL  REFERENCE   TO   MINISTERS  AND   STUDENTS. 

BY 

JOHN  PETER  LANGE,  D.  D., 

PROFESSOR     OF     THEOLOGY     IN     THE     UNIVERSITY     OF     BONN, 

ASSISTED    BY    A    NUMBER    OF    EMINENT    EUROPEAN  DIVINES. 
TRANSLATED,  ENLARGED  AND  EDITED 

BY 

PHILIP  SCHAFF,  D  D., 

PROFESSOR   OF  SArtlED   LITERATURE  IN  THE  UNIOK  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  NEW  YORK, 

IN  CONNECTION  WITH  AMERICAN  AND  ENGLISH  SCHOLARS  OF  VARIOUS 

DENOMINATIONS. 

VOLUME  ITT.   OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT: 

NUMBERS  AND  DEUTERONOMY. 


NEW    YORK: 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS. 

1899. 


NUMBERS; 


OR,   THE 


FOUETH  BOOK  OF  MOSES. 


BY 


./ 

JOHN  PETER  LANGE    D.D 


TRANSLATED  AND  KNLARGED  BY 

Rev.  SAMUEL  T.  LOWRIE,  D.D., 

Ain) 

Rev.  a.  GOSMAN,  D.D. 


NEW   YORK: 

chari.es  scribner's  sons. 

1899. 


COPYRIGHT  1879.    BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNEB'S  SONS. 


PREFACE  BY  THE  AMERICAN  EDITOR. 


This  volume  embraces  the  last  two  books  of  the  Pentateuch. 

The  Commentary  on  Numbers  was  prepared  by  Dr.  Lange,  and  appeared,  toge- 
ther with  Exodus  and  Leviticus,  in  1874.  The  translation,  after  many  delays  beyond 
my  control,  was  finally  entrusted  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lowrie  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gosman. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Lowrie  is  responsible  for  the  Introduction  (original),  and  for  chaps. 
i.-xx.  13  and  chap,  xxxiii.  His  additions  are,  as  usual,  included  in  brackets,  and 
marked  Tr.  They  bear  chiefly  on  the  geography  and  topography  of  the  regions  tra- 
versed by  the  Israelites  from  Mt.  Sinai  to  Mt.  Hor  and  the  plains  of  Moab,  with  re- 
ference to  the  most  recent  explorations  of  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula.  The  Rev.  Dr. 
Gosman  prepared  the  remaining  chapters  of  Numbers,  and  his  additions  are  marked 
oy  his  initials. 

The  Commentary  on  Deuteronomy  is  the  work  of  the  late  Pastor  F.  W.  J. 
ScHROEDER,  who  Studied  with  me  in  Berlin  and  succeeded  the  celebrated  Dr. 
Friedrich  Wilhelm  Krummacher  in  the  First  Reformed  Church  of  Elberfeld.* 
It  was  published  separately  in  1866.  The  English  edition  was  at  once  taken  in 
hand  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gosman  and  stereotyped,  but  it  had  to  wait  for  the  completion 
of  Numbers. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Mosaic  authorship  of  Deuteronomy  has  been  subjected  to 
new  trial.  Hence  Dr.  Gosman  was  requested  to  add  a  special  Appendix  with  re- 
ference to  the  views  of  Bishop  Colenso,  Dr.  Kuenen,  Prof  Wellhausen,  and  Pro- 
fessor "W.  Robertson  Smith.  This  was  the  more  necessary  since  the  Deuteronomic 
controversy  as  connected  with  the  doctrine  of  inspiration  has  assumed  a  serious  eccle- 
siastical aspect  in  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  which  has  hitherto  been  singularly 
free  of  any  departure  from  traditional  orthodoxy,  but  is  now  almost  equally  divided 
on  the  soundness  and  admissibility  of  the  views  of  one  of  her  public  teachers.  It  may 
be  doubted  whether  Presbyteries,  Synods  and  General  Assemblies  are  the  proper  judi- 
catories for  the  adjustment  of  purely  critical  questions  on  which  the  first  biblical  scho- 
lars of  the  age  are  at  issue  among  themselves,  and  have  not  yet  reached  final  con- 
clusions ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  a  free  Church  which  supports  its  theological  schools 


*  See  obituary  notice  in  Preface  to  the  vol.  on  Ezekiel. 
y 


Ti  PREFACE  BY  THE  AMERICAN  EDITOR. 

without  aid  from  the  state,  has  a  perfect  right  to  control  the  teaching  in  the  same; 
moreover  the  interest  of  the  Scotch  people  in  such  questions  marks  a  great  progress 
beyond  the  prevailing  indifference  and  passivity  of  the  laity  in  other  countries  and 
churches.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  ultimate  result  of  these  controversies  will 
be  a  clearer  insight  into  the  human  growth  of  the  Bible  as  a  literary  production,  and 
this,  instead  of  weakening  our  faith  in  the  divine  Scriptures,  will  only  strengthen  it  in 
the  end;  just  as  the  fullest  investigation  of  the  laws  of  nature  will  lead  to  a  more  pro- 
found adoration  of  nature's  God. 

With  this  volume  the  English  reproduction  of  Dr.  Lange's  Bibelwerk  is  com- 
pleted. But  the  American  Editor  and  Publisher  have  concluded  to  add  an  original 
volume  on  the  Apocryphal  Books,  which  have  almost  passed  out  of  sight,  and  yet  are 
quite  important  historically  as  the  connecting  link  between  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments.    This  volume  is  now  passing  through  the  printer's  hands. 

PHILIP  SCHAFF. 


Union  Theoloqicai,  Seminary,  "> 
New  York,  Oct.  1,  1879.    / 


BOOK  OF  NUMBERS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

§   1.     THE    POSITION    AND    CHARACTERISTIC    MARK    OF    NUMBERS. 

[See  the  vol.  on  Exod.  and  Lev.  for  Dr.  Lange's  view  of  the  position  and  characteristic  mark 
of  Numb,  in  what  he  calls  "  The  Trilogy  of  the  Law,"  viz.,  pp.  4,  5,  7,  and  also  the  voL  on  Gen.,  p.  92. 
He  designates  Exodus  as  the  prophetic  book  of  the  Theocracy,  Leviticus  as  the  priestly  book,  and 
Numbers  as  the  kingly  book.  "  Numbers  therefore  stands  with  the  impress  of  the  kingly  revela- 
tion of  Jehovah."  "  The  fundamental  thought  of  the  book  of  Numbers  is  the  march  of  the  typical 
army  of  God  at  the  sound  of  the  silver  trumpets,  the  signals  for  waging  the  wars  of  Jehovah,  until 
the  firm  founding  of  God's  state,  and  the  celebration  of  the  festivals  of  victory  and  blessing  of 
Jehovah  in  the  land  of  promise.     Around  this  centre  are  grouped  the  separate  parts  of  the  book." 

§  2.     THE    origin    AND    COMPOSITION    OF    NUMBERS. 

On  the  Origin  and  Composition  of  Numbers,  see  the  vol.  on  Genesis,  pp.  94-100.  What  is 
said  in  that  volume  on  the  Pentateuch  in  general  has  its  particular  application  to  Numbers.  In 
the  same  vol.,  pp.  104-115,  what  is  said  with  special  reference  to  Genesis  reflects  also  the  debate 
in  relation  to  the  genuineness  and  authenticity  of  the  other  books  of  the  Pentateuch.  That  Intro- 
duction reflects  the  controversial  situation  in  1864,  or  fifteen  years  ago.  The  controversy  has 
continued  meantime,  not  materially  changed  in  its  prominent  features,  but  modified  in  some  of  its 
particulars  on  the  side  of  those  that  oppose  the  traditional  and  orthodox  view  of  the  Mosaic  author- 
ship of  the  Pentateuch.  The  controversy  has  made  progress  at  least  in  interest,  especially  in 
England  and  America.  As  the  latest  exponents  of  the  destructive  school  of  criticism  on  English 
ground,  the  reader  may  be  referred  to  the  article  "  Bible  "  in  the  latest  edition  of  the  Encyclopedia 
Britannica,  and  to  the  translations  of  two  works  of  Dr.  A.  Kuenen,  Prof,  of  Theol.  in  the  University 
of  Leyden,  viz.,  his  ^^  Religion  of  Israel  "  and  his  ''  Prophets  and  Prophecy  in  Israel." 

Perhaps  there  has  also  been  progress  in  the  matter  of  the  controversy.  The  last-named 
author,  and  his  English  sponsor,  J.  Muir,  Esq.,  D.  C.  L.  of  Edinburg,  seem  to  think  so.  The  recent 
«'  advance  in  the  application  of  just  methods  of  inquiry  "  has,  they  think,  thrown  its  light  on  the  his- 
tory of  that  religion  that  claims  a  divine  and  supernatural  origin.  The  application  of  these  new  laws 
of  investigation  "  has  issued  in  important  and  satisfactory  results."  This  seems  to  say  that  the 
result  referred  to  is  an  assured  and  final  position,  in  which  the  critics  are  satisfied  to  rest.  It  could 
only  be  a  pleasure  to  concur  in  this  view.  For  then  the  greatest  difficulty  of  the  controversy  would 
disappear  for  the  adherents  of  the  orthodox  view.  Heretofore,  while  the  latter  view  has  pre- 
sented one  distinct  and  consistent  position  to  its  adversaries,  these  have  continually  changed  posi- 
tion and  front.  Thus  the  defence  and  attack  have  had  to  be  constantly  renewed.  "  The  Docu- 
mentary Hypothesis"  was  succeeded  by  "The  Fragmentary  Hypothesis,"  and  that  again  by  ''The 
Supplementary  Hypothesis,"  while  Ewald,  like  a  free-lance,  came  on  with  his  explanation  (see 
Smith's  Bib.  Diet,  article  Pentateuch)  in  which  he  was  so  confident,  that  it  could  only  be  an 
afi"ront  to  him  to  call  it  an  hypothesis  at  all. 

The  newer  position  also  claims  to  be  more  than  a  hypothesis.  It  is  the  clear  result,  the  satis- 
fying conclusion  of  an  inductive  process.  It  is  the  postulate  of  what  is  found  to  be  the  situation 
after  an  unprejudiced  collection  and  calculation  of  all  the  phenomena  of  the  case.  It  is  a  view  that 
fully  explains  the  documents  presented  to  our  investigation.     As  the  astronomer  has  but  to  turn 

1 


NUMBERS. 


his  telescope  to  a  certain  quarter  of  the  heavens  to  see  a  planet  never  seen  before,  but  whose  exist- 
ence he  has  conjectured  and  then  verified,  and  then  calculated  to  its  present  position,  so  the  critic 
has  calculated  this  explanation.     This  then  ought  to  be  the  final  stand. 

Summed  up  it  is  as  follows :  The  Pentateuch  and  later  historical  books  of  the  Bible,  previous 
to  the  captivity,  are  the  production  of  the  eighth  and  seventh  centuries  B.  C.  What  they  recount 
was  not  meant  to  represent  the  actual  past,  but  to  represent  and  impress  the  religious  convictions 
of  the  writers.  These  were  the  prophets.  "  They  have  given  to  Israelits  history."  This  material 
so  originated,  received  a  second  treatment  from  the  priestly  class,  who  interwove  and  added  matter 
of  their  own,  thus  making  more  history  in  their  own  sense,  and  in  the  interest  of  the  temple  and 
its  service.  There  is  a  residuum  of  history  or  fact.  But  it  is  of  course  small,  and  the  amount  of 
it  is  not  to  be  determined  with  assurance.  Kuenen,  indeed,  holds  that  upon  certain  hermeneutical 
principles  he  can  accurately,  and  to  a  great  extent  certainly,  discriminate  the  wheat  from  the  chaflf. 
But  grant  him  his  principles,  and  he  can  do  anything.     And  so  indeed  can  any  one  else. 

To  the  common  understanding  this  appears  to  charge  the  prophetic  authors  of  the  religion  of 
Israel  with  deplorable  morality.  But  not  so,  say  the  critics.  This  difficulty  is  cleared  up  by  re- 
flecting on  the  character  of  their  times,  and  the  unreasonable  expectations  we  have  about  writing 
history.  The  prophets  were  grand  and  good  characters,  and  they  gave  to  their  race,  and  through 
them  to  the  world,  the  great  blessing  of  ethical  monotheism. 

Thus  it  appears  that  we  must  divest  ourselves  of  two  unreasonable  assumptions  when  investi- 
gating the  origin  and  composition  of  the  Pentateuch  and  other  books  of  Scripture.  First,  we  must 
dismiss  the  idea  that  the  honest  author  can,  or  even  can  pretend  to  recount  the  actual  facts  of  the 
past.  Even  an  eye-witness  of  such  facts  can  only  give  his  own  conception  of  them.  But  let  there 
be  a  longer  or  shorter  interval  of  time  between  the  narrator  and  the  events  ;  "let  it  be  assumed 
that  he  has  to  enlighten  his  readers,  not  concerning  facts  which  are  indifferent,  but  on  a  subject 
•which  inspires  himself  with  the  most  lively  interest ;  let  it  be  conceived  that  he  writes,  not  as  an 
individual,  but  as  a  representative  of  the  order  or  class  to  which  he  belongs  ;  let  it  be  supposed, 
finally,  that,  in  composing  his  narrative,  he  has  a  definite  aim  in  view,  which  he  would  not,  for 
anything  the  world  could  give,  wish  to  miss  ;  let  these  conditions  be  granted,  and  will  it  be  ima- 
gined that  his  representation  can  possibly  be  a  faithful  impress  of  the  reality  ?"  Second,  we  must 
dismiss  the  assumption  of  a  critical  public  opinion  in  the  time  and  among  the  people  that  wit- 
nessed the  production  of  these  books.  "  In  our  days,  the  individuality  of  the  historical  writer  is 
held  in  check,  as  it  were,  by  public  opinion.  This  demands  from  him  truth,  nothing  but  the  truth, 
and  shows  itself  severe  in  the  maintenance  of  this  requirement,  and  in  the  punishment  of  every  sin 
against  it.  In  antiquity,  in  Israel  as  well  as  elsewhere,  the  case  was  different.  The  historian 
could  then  move  much  more  freely.  Attention  was  directed  more  to  the  spirit  in  which  he  wrote, 
and  to  the  tendency  of  his  narrative,  than  to  the  truth  of  the  entire  representation,  and  to  accu- 
racy in  the  details.  The  object  was,  to  express  it  in  one  word,  the  training  of  the  reader  in  this 
or  that  religious  or  political  direction.  In  the  estimation  of  the  writer,  the  account  of  what  had 
occurred  was  subordinate  to  that  end,  and  was,  therefore,  without  the  least  hesitation  made  to 

subserve  it." 

This  represents  the  view-point  and  latest  deliverance  of  the  critical  school.-  Again  it  encour- 
ages the  hope  that  we  have  in  it  the  final  result  of  their  efforts.  For  what  can  they  want  more  ? 
They  have  a  result  that  does  not  leave  a  vestige  of  religion.  Among  those  that  hold  such  views 
there  is  not  a  crumb  of  good  left  for  earnest  minds  to  contend  about.  There  is  room  left  only  for 
the  egotistic  strife  as  to  who  is  right  in  regard  to  opinions  that  have  no  longer  a  living  interest. 
The  triumph  of  such  views  would  be  the  extinction  of  all  but  an  antiquarian  interest  in  the  ques- 
tions involved.  The  religion  of  the  Bible  would  then  have  no  more  power  on  earth  than  the  reli- 
gion of  the  Druids. 

The  controversy  has  life  only  because  the  traditional  and  orthodox  belief  in  the  supernatural 
origin  of  these  books  still  lives.  It  will  continue  as  long  as  the  divine  truths  involved  in  the 
orthodox  belief  continue  to  reprove  men  for  sin  against  Him  whom  these  books  reveal,  and  call  on 
men  to  repent  and  be  reconciled  to  Him,  and  while  men  resist  the  claim.  Thus,  spite  of  the  en- 
couragement indulged  above,  it  is  evident,  that,  in  the  newer  view  developed  since  Dr.  Langb 
wrote  the  Introduction  to  Genesis,  we  have  at  best  only  the  last  result  of  the  present  opponents. 
When  their  position  has  proved  untenable,  then  will  others  arise  that  will  attempt  another 
portion. 


§  3.    ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  NUMBERS. 


The  obvious  objection  to  the  view  given  above  is  the  same  that  has  been  successfully  objected 
to  views  that  preceded  it,  viz.,  that  it  creates  a  difficulty  greater  than  the  one  it  claims  to  have 
solved.  Granted  that  it  has  explained  the  origin  of  the  literature  we  have  ;  what  then  accounts 
for  the  entire  absence  of  another  school  of  literature  that  such  a  condition  of  things  must  have 
produced  ?  For  if  there  were  true  prophets,  there  were  also  false  prophets.  The  authors  of  this 
view  think  proper,  indeed,  to  use  terms  less  invidious,  and  adopt  instead  the  terms  "  canonical  pro- 
phets, and  the  so-called  'false-prophets,'  or  the  other  prophets."  They  honor  both  classes,  ascribing 
good  faith  to  both.  They  make  them  differ  essentially  only  in  this,  that  ''  the  Israelite  could  either 
make  his  religion  subordinate  to  his  national  feeling,  his  patriotism,  or  let  that  religion  rule  over 
the  latter.  Nfw  the  first  way  was  followed  by  the  '  false  prophets,'  in  the  second  we  find  the 
canonical  prophets."  Let  it  be  so.  The  difference  is  well  stated ;  but  it  is  evident  the  difi'erence 
is  estimated  very  differently  by  an  orthodox  thinker  from  what  it  is  by  the  authors  of  the  view  we 
are  considering.  The  latter  mean  to  say,  that  the  so-called  false  prophets  were  not  as  bad  as  they 
are  made  to  appear  by  the  ex  parte  and  only  evidence  that  has  come  down  to  us,  viz.,  their  oppo- 
nents the  canonical  prophets.  But  then  the  mystery  appears:  how  is  it  that  v?e  have  nothing 
from  "  the  so-called  false  prophets  ?"  Why  have  we  only  a  literature  of  the  canonical  prophets  ? 
"  The  other  prophets  "  were  evidently  the  popular  prophets  of  their  day.  They  were  the  more 
numerous.  As  they  had  a  ready  hearing,  so  what  they  wrote  would  have  a  wider  circulation.  If 
they  were  so  respectable  after  all,  then  they  could  not  have  been  the  least  inferior  to  the  canonical 
prophets  in  literary  ability,  and  their  zeal  would  not  suffer  them  to  be  behind  in  employing  their 
pens  to  propagate  their  convictions.  They  too  must  have  "  made  history  "  in  their  own  interest. 
And  what  those  popular  prophets  would  write  had  a  thousand  chances  of  being  handed  down  to 
one  chance  of  the  canonical  prophets.  The  objection  now  urged  is  so  obvious  as  not  to  need  ampli- 
fication. The  fact  of  there  being  no  such  literature  is  a  demonstration  that  there  could  have  been 
no  such  literary  activity  as  that  ascribed  to  the  8th  and  7th  centuries  B.  C. 

Moreover,  how  is  it  possible  to  conceive  that  any  men,  with  honest  or  dishonest  intent,  could 
make  history  in  the  way  and  under  the  circumstances  represented  by  this  view  ?  Of  course  we 
can  conceive  of  men  speaking  and  writing  thus.  If  we  were  slow  to  believe  it,  these  writers  of  the 
critical  school  would  dispel  all  doubt  by  their  own  performances.  But  this  is  not  a  question 
merely  of  how  men  may  write,  but  also  of  the  public  acceptance  of  what  they  wrote.  How  could 
men  gain  credit  by  such  writing,  or  commend  their  opinions  in  this  way  ?  The  facts  they  manip- 
ulated could  only  serve  their  purpose  if  they  were  commonly  accepted  by  the  public  to  which  they 
addressed  their  writings.  Otherwise  these  facts  could  point  no  moral.  Granted  that  what  they 
wrote  reproduced  a  mere  skeleton  of  reality  ;  they  would  not  be  allowed,  without  challenge,  to 
dress  up  the  skeleton  with  invented  details  to  suit  their  purpose.  This  might  be  done  by  popular 
prophets  chiming  in  with  the  patriotism  and  fashion  of  the  day.  It  might  be,  also,  if  there  were  only 
one  class  of  men  to  write  the  records.  Much  history  has  been  falsified  this  way.  But  it  could 
never  be  successfully  done  by  unpopular  prophets,  who  had  not  only  the  mass  of  the  nation  against 
them,  but  also  another  and  larger  class  of  popular  prophets,  whom  this  view  assumes  to  have  been 
deservedly  respectable  for  their  patriotic  aims  and  for  their  ability  to  teach  the  people  The  very 
condition  of  things  assumed  by  the  view  would  imply  that  there  was  such  "  a  public  opinion  as 
would  hold  the  individuality  of  the  historical  writer  in  check,  and  demand  of  him  the  truth  and 
nothing  but  the  truth."  Or  if  we  must  assume  a  public  indifferent  to  facts  and  only  interested  in 
the  didactic  aims  they  were  made  to  subserve,  then  we  should  find  not  only  the  traces  of  a  prophetic 
and  of  a  priestly  manipulation  of  these  and  kindred  facts,  but  also  traces  of  similar  productions, 
not  merely  of  the  false  prophets,  but  also  of  purely  political  and  other  authors. 

Other  objections  might  be  urged  to  the  view  in  question.  But  it  is  enough  to  refer  to  the 
admirable  note  of  Dr.  T.  Lewis  on  the  same  subject  in  the  vol.  on  Genesis,  p.  99.  What  he  says  is 
applicable  to  the  present  case,  and  is  likely  to  be  applicable  to  all  other  efforts  to  explain  the 
origin  and  composition  of  the  books  of  the  Bible,  except  that  which  ascribes  to  them  a  divine  and 
supernatural  origin. 

§  3.     ANTIQUITY    OF    THE    BOOK    OP    NUMBERS. 

A  brief  statement  of  proofs  of  the  antiquity  of  the  book  of  Numbers  will  be  in  place  here. 
This  is  more  profitable  labor  than  the  attempt  to  answer  the  objections  that  are  made  to  the  claim 
of  antiquity.     For,  as  has  been  shown,  any  writing  of  this  sort  soon  needs  to  be  written  over  again. 


NUMBERS. 


The  positive  proofs,  iiowever,  are  of  lasting  Talue.  Moreover,  if  they  are  convincing,  the  mind 
will  rest  in  them,  and  not  be  troubled  at  the  suggestion  of  difficulties  that  are  hard  or  even  impos- 
sible to  explain.  Such  difficulties  attend  all  records  of  the  past.  Advantages  attend  the  exhibi- 
tion and  appreciation  of  the  proofs  relating  to  a  single  book  that  are  missed  in  the  defence  of  the 
Pentateuch  as  a  whole.     For  this  reason  the  following  are  offered  here. 

The  testimony  of  the  other  Scriptures.  The  other  four  books  of  the  Pentateuch  are  of  course  not 
appealed  to.  But  all  the  other  Old  Testament  Scriptures  may  be  appealed  to,  and  they  afford 
convincing  proof  of  the  pre-existence  of  Numbers.  This  evidence,  in  such  books  as  are  known  to 
have  been  written  long  after  the  events  recorded  in  Numbers,  proves  that  Numbers  must  have 
existed  as  a  book  long  anterior  to  the  origin  of  the  latter  books.  Attention  is  asked  to  the  following 
citations  from  other  Scripture  (excluding  the  Pentateuch)  that  reflect  the  matters  recorded  in 
Numbers. 

Joshua  presupposes  Numbers  in  almost  every  chapter.     But  take  the  following  : 

Josh.  i.  7  comp.  Num.  xxvii.  23.  Josh.  i.  12  sqq.  comp.  Num.  xxxii,  20-28. 

Josh.  ii.  10  comp.  Num.  xxi.  24,  34,  35.  Josh.  iv.  12  comp.  Num.  xxxii.  2,  27,  28. 

Josh.  V.  4  comp.  Num.  xiv.  29 ;  xxvi.  64,  65.  Josh.  ix.  14  comp.  Num.  xxvii.  21. 

Josh.  xvii.  3  sqq.  comp.  Num.  xxvi.  33  ;   xxvii.  1. 
Josh.  xvii.  3  sqq.  comp.  Num.  xxxvi.  2. 

Judges.  Compare  the  oft-recurring  expression  "  they  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord," 
Jud.  iii.  7,  12,  etc.,  with  Num.  xxxii.  13. 

Judg.  i.  20  comp.  Num.  xiv.  24.  Jud.  ii.  3  comp.  Num.  xxxiii.  55. 

Judg.  xi.  12-27  comp.  Num.  xx.  14-21.  Jud.  xx.  18  comp.  Num.  ii.  3. 

1  Sam.  X.  25  comp.  Num.  xvii.  7  (22).  1  Sam.  xv.  6  comp.  Num.  x.  29,  32. 

1  Sam.  XV.  29  comp.  Num.  xxii.  19.  1  Sam.  xviii.  17  comp.  Num.  xxxii.  20,  27,  29. 

1  Sam.  xviii.  13,  16  comp.  Num.  xxvii.  17. 

Notice  the  frequent  mention  of  inquiring  of  the  Lord  by  the  High  Priest  I  Sam.  xiv.  19;  xviii. 
9  ;  XXX.  7,  etc.,  and  comp.  Num.  xxvii.  21. 

1  Kings  xxi.  3  comp.  Num.  xxxvi.  7  2  Kings  xviii.  4  comp.  Num.  xxi.  5-10. 

Psalms  iv.  6;  xxxi.  16;  xlvii.  1  ;  Ixxx.  3,  7,  19;  cxix.  135;   cxxi.  7  comp.  Num.  vi.  22-26. 
Psalm  Iv.  15  comp.  Num.  xvi.  30-33.  Ps.  Ix.  12  comp.  Num.  xxiv.  18. 

Psalms  Ixviii.  1,  2  ;  cxxxii.  8  comp.  Num.  x.  35,  36. 

Proverbs  i.  12  comp.  Num.  x.  35,  36. 

HosEA  ix.  10  comp.  Num.  xxv.  3.  Micah  vi.  5  comp.  Num.  xxii. — xxiv. 

Amos  ii.  11,  12  comp.  Num.  vi.  2,  3.  Amos  ii.  9  comp.  Num.  xx.   24;  xiii.  28,  32,  33. 

Isaiah  xlviii.  21  comp.  Num.  xx.  11.  Jeremiah  xlviii.  45,  46  comp.  Num.  xxi.  27,  28. 

EzEKiEL  xxxiv.  5,  6  comp.  Num.  xxvii.  17.  Obadiah  4,  19  comp.  Num.  xxiv.  18,  21. 

TrcH  {Die  Genesis,  p.  xc.)  is  quoted  as  saying  (in  opposition  to  De  Wette  and  Von  Bohlen, 
who  deny  that  there  are  any  references  to  the  Pentateuch  in  the  earlier  prophets)  that  there  are 
found  about  eight  hundred  indications  of  the  pre-existence  of  the  Pentateuch  in  the  prophets  of 
that  period.  This  assertion  has  great  probability.  If  true  of  the  earlier  prophets  it  is  equally 
true  of  the  books  commonly  supposed  to  precede  them.  Of  these  indications  Numbers  has  its  due 
share.  Thus  the  citations  given  above  will  not  be  understood  as  representing  in  the  least  degree 
the  proportion  of  such  traces  of  the  pre-existence  of  Numbers.  They  are  only  proofs  that  such 
traces  exist,  and  serve  as  illustrations  of  their  nature.  The  greater  the  familiarity  with  the  Scrip- 
tures, the  more  does  this  relationship  of  its  parts  appear  in  many  indications  that  can  only  be 
appreciated  by  familiarity.  Of  this  sort  are  the  archaisms  which  appeal  only  to  one  acquainted 
with  Hebrew  (see  art.  Pentateuch  in  Smith's  B^.  Diet.,  and  J.  Macdonald,  Introd.  vol.  i.  pp. 


§  3.   ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  NUMBERS. 


800-314.  who  also  refers  to  Haevernick's  General  Introd.,  translation  pp.  155-171,  and  to  Edwards' 
The  Authenticity  and  Genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch,  §  5 ;  and  to  the  Biblioth.  Sacra.,  ii.  387-398). 
Other  indications  of  this  sort  are  peculiar  phrases  and  turns  of  expression,  that  are  explained  by 
the  pre-existence  of  Numbers,  just  as  similar  usages  in  the  English  tongue  now  are  explained  by 
the  existence  of  the  authorized  English  version  of  the  Bible,  or  the  existence  of  a  classic  like 
Shakspeare.  Some  of  this  sort  of  indications  are  embraced  in  the  foregoing  list.  It  is  especially 
such  traits  that  indicate  a  long  pre-existence  of  the  book  that  is  evidently  their  original  source. 
For  it  requires  a  long  time  for  such  forms  of  expression  to  merge  into  the  common  language  of 
the  people. 

Take  only  the  references  given  above  and  we  have  recovered  a  considerable  part  of  the  sub- 
stance of  the  book  of  Numbers. 

Num.  ii.  3.  Judah  first  in  war. 
Num.  vi.  2.  3.   Institution  of  Nazarites. 
Num.  vi.  22-26.  The  Aaronic  blessing. 

Num.  X.  29,  32.  The  kindness  of  Jetbro  and  Hobab,  the  Kenites  of  Midian. 
Num.  X.  35,  36.  Moses'  words  for  the  march  and  the  halt. 
Num.  xiii.  28,  32.  33.   The  Anakim. 
Num.  xiv.  24.  Caleb  to  possess  Hebron  of  the  Anakim, 
Num.  xvi.  30-33.  Destruction  of  Korah. 
Num.  xvii.  7.  Moses  laying  up  the  rods  before  the  Lord, 
Num.  XX.  11.  Water  brought  from  the  rock. 
Num.  XX.  14-21.  Request  to  pass  through  Edom. 
Num.  xxi.  5-10.  The  Brazen  Serpent. 
Num.  xxi.  17.  The  song  of  the  well. 
Num.  xxi.  27,  28.   The  song  relating  to  Heshbon. 

Num.  xxi.  24,  34,  35.  The  fate  of  Sihon  and  Og,  kings  of  the  Amorites  and  of  Baehan. 
Num.  xxii. — xxiv.  The  history  of  Balaam. 
Num.  xxiii.  55.  A  snatch  of  Balaam's  prophecy. 
Num.  xxiv.  18.  A  snatch  of  Balaam's  prophecy. 
Num.  XXV.  3.  Israel  and  Baal-Peor. 
Num.  xxvi.  33. 

Num.  xxvii.  1  ;  xxxvi.  7.  Inheritance  of  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad. 
Num.  xxvi.  64,  65.  The  new  generation  after  the  perishing  of  those  that  came  out  of  Egypt. 
Num.  xxvii.  17.  Moses'  prayer  for  a  captain. 

Num.  xxvii.  21.  Inquiring  of  the  Lord,  through  the  High  Priest,  by  Urim  and  Thummim. 
Num.  xxvii.  23.  Moses  commanded  to  ordain  Joshua  captain. 

Num.  xxxii.  20-28.  Settlement  of  tribes  east  of  Jordan,  and  their  covenant  to  aid  in  the  con- 
quest of  West  Jordan. 
Num.  xxxiv.  55.  Remnants  of  Canaanites  to  be  thorns  in  Israel's  side. 
Num.  xxxvi.  7.  The  inheritance  of  fathers  not  to  be  given  up. 

This  collection  would  not  help  in  any  degree  to  reconstruct  the  book  were  it  missing ;  nor 
could  any  amount  of  such  hints  of  some  existing  record  found  in  the  other  books  of  Scripture. 
But  the  existence  of  such  a  book  as  Numbers  explains  the  passages  where  these  hints  are  found, 
while  the  coincident  thoughts  and  expressions  meet  as  concentrated  rays  of  light  upon  this  book 
as  their  focus.  Consider  the  amount  and  variety  of  the  matter  reflected  in  these  citations.  We 
have  transactions  with  historic  nations  such  as  Edom,  Moab,  Bashan.  We  have  the  origin  of 
relations  among  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  like  the  settlement  of  East  Jordan  by  the  two  and  a 
half  tribes.  We  have  the  origin  of  social  institutions  such  as  the  laws  of  inheritance.  We  have 
the  account  of  sins  of  Israel  and  their  punishment  that  we  find  appealed  to  ages  after  as  warnings. 
We  have  miracles,  such  as  water  from  the  rock,  and  healing  by  the  Brazen  Serpent.  We  have 
snatches  of  ancient  songs  and  prophecy.  We  have  the  origin  of  religious  usages  such  as  the  appeal 
to  Urim  and  Thummim,  and  the  institution  of  the  Nazirites.  We  have  the  origin  of  the  Aaronic 
blessing  of  which  so  many  traces  appear  in  all  the  later  Hebrew  literature.  When  we  have  so 
mucn,  and  a  little  industry  may  collect  much  more,  we  have  convincing  proof  that  the  book  which 


{ 


6  NUMBERS, 


so  explains  them  all  must  have  existed  previous  to  all  this  literature  in  a  form  as  complete  as  we 
now  have  it.  It  is  easier  to  think  that  it  may  have  suffered  some  curtailment  than  that  later 
hands  have  added  to  it,  and  that  the  mutilation  of  this  or  some  similar  record  explains  why  we 
have  no  documentary  proof  of  many  other  things  in  the  later  books  of  Scripture  relating  to  the 
same  period  of  which  Numbers  treats. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  present  question  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  credibility  of 
the  things  recorded  in  Numbers,  but  merely  with  the  existence  of  such  a  written  record.  The 
observance  of  this  necessary  distinction  greatly  simplifies  the  investigation.  It  is  mostly  by  con- 
founding with  this  the  credibility  of  what  is  recorded,  that  the  investigation  is  embarrassed,  and 
many  are  led  helplessly  astray  in  making  the  investigation.  When  this  distinction  is  observed,  the 
foregoing  proof  becomes  irresistible,  that  Numbers  existed  previously  to  all  this  literature  that 
reflects  its  existence.  It  is  this  sort  of  proof  that  is  justly  relied  on  in  establishing  the  antiquity 
and  apostolic  authorship  of  the  New  Testament  Scriptures. 

It  is  to  be  noticed  that  the  foregoing  only  proves  the  relative  age  of  Numbers.  It  is  older  than 
this  other  literature.  But  if  all  this  other  literature  should  appear  to  have  originated  in  the  8th 
and  7th  centuries  B.  C,  then  not  much  is  gained.  Numbers  was  then  only  written  before  the  8th 
century  B.  C.  It  may  have  been  in  the  9th  century  B.  C.  But  it  may  be  confidently  urged  that 
the  foregoing  proof  involves  a  more  satisfactory  conclusion.  The  foregoing  citations,  with  little 
exception,  give  matter  peculiar  to  Numbers.  Nothing  else  claims  to  be  the  original  record  of  thenu 
Unless  the  subsequent  literature,  shown  to  be  such  by  its  reflection  of  this  book,  were  the  work  of 
one  man,  or  of  a  few  men  working  in  collusion  (a  most  unreasonable  if  not  impossible  assumption), 
these  various  books  could  never  betray  such  common  familiarity  with  Numbers.  Such  familiarity, 
common  to  such  difi"erent  productions,  can  only  be' explained  by  the  book  which  all  reflect.  It 
must  have  been  so  much  older  and  thus  so  generally  known,  that  no  one  could  be  ignorant  of  it 
that  would  write  such  books  as  follow,  nor  write  such  books  without  allusions  to  matter  contained 
in  Numbers. 

Numbers  must  have  been  in  fact,  just  what  it  has  been  traditionally  alleged  to  be,  viz.,  a  sacred 
book  of  the  Israelites  of  a  date  much  older  than  the  books  that  were  written  long  after  the  matters 
it  records.  It  must  have  been  such  a  book  to  David,  since  it  is  reflected  in  bis  Psalms — five  of  the 
Psalms  cited  above  being  ascribed  to  him.  But  this  refers  Numbers  to  a  period  so  long  previous 
to  the  time  when  literature  at  all  flourished  in  Israel,  that  it  is  easier  to  ascribe  its  authorship  to 
the  age  of  Moses  himself  than  to  any  other  generation  preceding  Samuel. 

Of  course,  if  the  literature  subsequent  to  Numbers  is  proved  to  be  as  old  as  the  traditional 
belief  has  maintained,  then  this  throws  the  age  of  Numbers  back  to  the  period  to  which  tradition 
has  always  assigned  it.  And  we  may,  in  this  estimate,  disregard  Joshua,  which,  being  so  near 
the  same  period,  might  be  taken  as  reflecting  the  same  events  independently  of  any  written  record. 
We  cannot  of  course  in  this  place   touch  on  the  subject  of  the  genuineness  of  the  later  books  of 

Scripture. 

The  internal  proofs  of  the  antiquity  of  Numbers.  These  are  so  numerous  and  so  manifest  that  one 
can  have  no  other  idea  than  that  he  is  reading  the  account  of  an  eye-witness  of  the  matters 
recorded,  until  criticism  points  out  alleged  anachronisms  and  other  discrepancies.  These  are  so 
few  and  inconsiderable  that  they  can  have  little  weight.  It  can  only  enhance  the  force  of  the 
argument  in  favor  of  the  antiquity  of  Numbers  to  review  these  objections  (see  below  §  7). 

First,  the  book  assumes  to  be  the  account  of  a  contemporary  and  eye-witness  of  the  events. 
Parts  of  i't  are  expressly  claimed  to  be  the  production  of  Moses  himself  (xxxiii.  2).  Tbis  point  is 
too  manifest  to  need  amplification. 

The  details  of  the  account  down  to  minutiae  correspond  with  the  assumption.  It  describes 
what  befell  a  numerous  people  daring  a  period  of  migratory  life.  It  does  this  not  only  with  fidelity 
to  the  situation,  but  there  is  an  entire  absence  of  any  reference  that  betrays  any  acquaintance 
with  any  other  condition  of  the  people  except  the  sojourn  in  Egypt  that  preceded  it.  For  example 
all  references  to  solidly  built  houses  and  walls  relate  to  other  people,  or  to  a  prospective  condition 
of  the  nation.  The  Tabernacle  was  a  monument  that  lasted  till  the  days  of  David,  and  as  such  it 
alone  affords  satisfactory  proof  of  the  genuineness  and  authenticity  of  the  Pentateuch,  that  is 
worthy  of  being  made  a  distinct  treatise.  It  was  reproduced  in  the  temple  of  Solomon,  which  was 
only  an  enlarged  copy  of  the  Tabernacle  (see  article  Temple  in  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.)  the  peculiar 
construction  of  which  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  pre-existence  of  the   Tabernacle  and  such 


§  3.    ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  NUMBERS. 


»  history  as  we  have  of  the  Tabernacle  in  the  Pentateuch.  The  peculiar  contribution  to  this  evi- 
dence  as  it  relates  to  Numbers,  is  seen  in  chapters  iii.,  iv.  that  give  account  of  the  Levites  being 
charged  with  the  care  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  its  transportation  on  the  journey.  Some  of  the  most 
remarkable  of  the  arrangements  there  described  are  reflected  in  1  Chron.  xv.  The  orders  for 
be-i.ing  the  ark  described  in  the  latter  place  are  satisfactorily  explained  by  the  account  in  Num. 
b^rs  It  is  impossible  that  the  account  in  Numbers  could  have  been  invented  at  a  later  date  to  suit 
the  representation  in  1  Chron.  Moreover,  if  the  regulations  of  which  Numbers  gives  account, 
were  the  ground  for  those  described  in  1  Chron.  xv.,  then  they  must  have  been  handed  down  by  a 
written  record      For  in  no  other  form  could  details  so  copious  and  so  minute  be  handed  down. 

And  this  leads  to  the  remark,  that  the  detailed  accounts  of  various  things  in  Numbers  give 
evidence  of  being  from  an  eye-witness  and  participator  in  the  transactions.  The  first  five  chap- 
ters abound  in  this  evidence  :  the  numbering  of  the  people,  the  arrangement  of  the  encampment, 
the  offerings  of  the  princes  at  the  dedication  of  the  Tabernacle,  the  order  of  march.  No  other 
reference  is  ever  made  in  later  times  to  most  of  these  matters.  No  motive  can  be  conceived  for 
a  writer  of  later  times  mentioning  them,  much  less  for  inventing  them.  They  were  matters  of 
present  interest  and  could  only  be  recorded,  not  only  while  fresh  in  the  memory,  but  also  while 

of  actual  importance.  ,  ^     ,  ,    ■ 

Various  institutions  of  later  ages  among  the  Israelites  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  records  in 
Numbers.  The  silver  trumpets  (x.),  the  laws  of  inheritance  (xxvii.) ;  the  Little  Passover  (ix.), 
the  Sabbath-breaker  (xv.).  No  later  writer  could  be  supposed  to  invent  such  accounts  of  the 
origin  of  these  institutions ;  and  if  they  are  true,  none  but  a  contemporary  can  be   supposed  to 

have  recorded  them. 

The  accuracy  of  the  account  in  respect  to  geographical  data  gives  most  convincing  proof  of 
Numbers  having  been  written  on  the  spot.  Modern  explorers  of  the  Sinai  peninsula  have  often  veri- 
fied this  accuracy,  and  in  the  effort  to  identify  the  localities  and  course  of  the  wanderings  of  Israel 
in  the  desert,  no  progress  has  been  made  except  where  explorers  have  assumed  that  this  account 
is  correct.  In  illustration  of  this  see  the  commentary  on  xiv.  and  xxxiii.  10.  Another  illustration, 
combining  also  historical  accuracy,  is  seen  in  xiii.  22,  where  see  the  commentary.  If  this  geographical 
accuracy  be  admitted,  then  it  involves  the  inference  that  the  account  must  have  been  written  on 
the  spot.  In  this  age  of  travellers,  a  common  experience  teaches  that  it  is  very  difBcnltto  observe 
Buch  accuracy  in  one's  accounts  of  his  journeys  without  one  has  made  his  record  on  the  spot. 

And  this  leads  to  the  remark,  viz.,  that  "many  portions  of  the  narrative  have  all  the  appear- 
ance of  a  journal  of  daily  transactions,  or  at  least  a  summary  of  such.  This  is  discernible  in  the 
precise  specification  of  time  and  place  given  in  connection  with  the  more  important  incidents,  par- 
ticularly in  the  list  of  encampments  in  chap,  xxxiii.  1-49,  and  with  regard  to  which  it  is  stated 
(ver.  2)  '  Moses  wrote  their  goings  out  according  to  their  journeys  ;'  and,  indeed,  the  document 
bears  all  the  marks  of  its  having  been  written  at  the  time  thus  intimated.  This  will  be  sufficiently 
apparent  from  the  following  observations:  First,  even  the  contradiction  alleged  to  exist  between 
the  statement  in  vers.  30,  31,  according  to  which  the  Israelites  journeyed  from  Moseroth  to  Bene 
Jaakan,  and  Deut.  x.  6,  which  makes  the  march  to  have  been  in  the  reverse  order  from  Bene  Jaa- 
kan  to  Moseroth,  however  it  may  be  explained,  is  certainly  rather  unfavorable  to  the  assumption 
that  the  narrative  is  the  work  of  a  later  writer,  and  one  of  course  freely  inventing  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case.  For  such  a  writer  would  not,  by  any  possibility,  have  admitted  so  arlaring  a 
discrepancy.  Further  the  historical  notices  of  vers.  4,  9,  14,  38  could  only  have  proceeded  from  a 
contemporary  writer,  for  they  are  natural  only  in  such  a  case,  bespeaking  an  eye-witness,  being 
in  fact  lively  reminiscences  .summoned  up  in  association  with  the  names  of  localUiPS."  J.  Mac- 
DONALD,  i.  p.  277,  "  Upon  their  gods  also  the  Lord  executed  judgments,"  xxxiii.  4,  men- 
tions a  fact  not  otherwise  recorded,  though  such  a  judgment  was  announced  (Exod.  xii.  12).  And 
this  record  seems  to  be  appealed  to  by  Isaiah  xix.  1.  "Behold  the  Lord  rideth  upon  a  swift 
cloud,  and  shall  come  into  Egypt;  and  the  idols  of  Egypt  shall  be  moved  at  His  presence." 

Typical  and  Doctrinal  proof .  A  peculiar  proof  of  the  genuineness  and  authenticity  of  Num- 
bers, that  will  appeal  to  Christian  experience,  may  be  presented  in  connection  with  the  typical 
matters  contained  in  it.  Numbers  is  distinguished  from  the  other  books  in  this  respect  by  the 
large  proportion  of  remarkable  historical  types  it  furnishes.  The  events  it  narrates  have  a  deep 
spiritual  significance.  Some  of  them  are  singled  out  by  the  Lord  Jesus  and  His  Apostles,  and 
their  typical  import  is  interpreted,  e.  g.,  the   Brazen  Serpent,  xxi.  7-9,  comp.  Jno.  iii.  14,  15;  the 


NUMBERS. 


Provocation  in  the  wilderness  and  consequent  exclusion  from  Canaan,  xiv.  20-23,  comp.  Ps.  xcv 
7-11  ;  Heb.  iii.  7-11.  Others  have  been  referred  to  in  the  same  way  from  the  earliest  times  of 
the  Christian  church,  as  most  fitting  types  of  the  truths  of  salvation.  The  whole  book,  with  its 
mustering  of  armed  hosts  and  their  march  and  battles,  victories  and  defeats,  is  typical  of  the 
church  mililant.  The  cities  of  refuge  are  typical  of  how  provision  is  made  by  which  sinners  may 
escape  the  natural  penalty  of  transgression.  The  rebellions  of  the  people  and  the  dealings  of  God 
with  them  are  typical  of  murmurings  and  backslidings  in  the  Christian  church.  The  terms  on 
which  Moses  proposed  to  pass  through  the  territory  of  Edom  and  of  Moab  are  typical  of  the  prin- 
ciples tLat  ought  to  govern  the  Christian  in  making  his  journey  through  the  world  to  the  promised 
rest  of  heaven.     See  under  chap.  i.  Doct.  and  Elh.,  ^  1. 

This  spiritual  correspondence  is  not  observed  in  any  ordinary  series  of  historical  events.     No 
single  people  or  time  can  furnish  a  series   of  consecutive   events    that   present  such  adaptations. 
These  are  more  remarkable   than    the  symbolism    of  the   ceremonial  ordinances,   which  may  be 
regarded  as  arbitrary  inventions,  that  might   easily  be    adapted   to   signify  certain  things.     Here 
indeed  "history  is  made  "  for  a  didactic  purpose,  and  with  as  much  ease  as  the  dramatist  arranges 
his  fictitious  plot.     But  it  is  not  made,  as  modern  critics  allege,  by  a  class  of  men  long  after,  who 
fabricated  an  account  in  tbe  interest  of  their  order.     For  the  most  evident  adaptations  of  this  his- 
tory are  to  spiritual  realities  of  the  Christian   church   and  Christian  life,  that  is,  to  conditions  of 
which  the  writer  of  the  account  could  have   no  conception.     They  are  not  adaptations  on  broad, 
general  human  principles,  such  as  make  Homer  and  Virgil  eternal  poems.     They  are  specifically 
and  peculiarly  adapted  to  Christian  experience,  and  are  appealed  to  in  illustration  of  it  as  no  pro- 
fane  epic  or  history  or  romance  can  be.     They  present  types  of  God's  methods  with  men  whom 
He  would  save,  and  of  men's  experience  under  such  dealing;  and  the  correspondences  in  Chris- 
tian experience  are  so  exact,  because  the  actors  are  the  same,  and  the  business  is  the  same.     In- 
deed the  nearest  likeness  to  this  account  of  Numbers  is  an  .illegory  like  Bcnyan's   Pilgrim's   Pro- 
gress.    We  can  understand  the  human  composition  of  that  work.     But  were  the  Pilgrim's  Progress 
to  appear  divested  of  its  specific  Christian  names  and  terms,  as  the  production  of  an  age  preceding 
the  Christian  era,  it  could  only  be  regarded  as  a  work  inspired  by  the  divine  Author  of  the  Chris- 
tian dispensation  and  intended  to  be  typical  of  the  experience  of  believers  under  that  dispensation. 
And  reflection  on  the  typical  import  of  the  events  narrated  in  Numbers  must  lead  to  a  similar  con- 
clusion.    Such  a  conclusion,  however,  involves  also  the  belief  in  the  antiquity  of  the  record      The 
events  recorded  must  be  true.     They  must  have  been  recorded  in  connection  with  their  occurrence. 
A  similar  argument  might    be  presented  by  representing  the  unity  that  exists   between  the 
great  theological  truths  involved  or  expressly  stated  in  Numbers  and  the  Christian  system  of  doc- 
trine.    Numbers  contributes  its  own  peculiar  share  of  "  the  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of  God," 
like  those  that  Paul  builds  on  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  which  find  their  proper  and  consistent 
development  in  the  clearer  light  of  the  New  Testament  revelation.     But  this  is  too  large  a  sub- 
ject for  the  present  Introduction.     It  is,  moreover,  best  considered  with   reference  to  the  whole 
Pentateuch,  and  not  with  reference  to  one  book,  and  in  that  way  has  received  excellent  treatment 
from  various  authors  (see  J.  Macdonald  on  the  Pentateuch,  vol.  ii.). 

Moses  was  the  author  of  Numbers.  All  that  is  important  is,  that  we  understand  the  book  to  owe 
its  origin  as  it  is  to  Moses,  and  that  his  name  and  authority  vouched  for  its  authenticity.  To  what 
extent  he  actually  penned  it,  or  dictated  its  language,  we  cannot  tell.  The  forms  of  authorship  differ 
very  much  according  to  time  and  place.  The  Assyrian  kings  are  justly  regarded  as  the  authors 
of  many  records  traced  on  stone  and  on  terra  cotta  cylinders,  though  we  are  sure  they  did  not 
themselves  make  those  marks  that  constitute  the  record,  and  very  likely  left  it  to  others  also  to 
dictate  the  language.  Yet  with  all  these  differences  as  to  the  form  of  authorship,  the  quality  of 
authorship  is  the  same,  just  as  it  is  with  a  banker's  paper  whether  he  pens  it  himself  or  lets  it  be 
done  by  a  responsible  clerk.  Even  for  the  authorship  of  chap,  xxxiii.  nothing  more  can  be  insisted 
on,  nor  can  it  be  important  to  be  assured  of  more.  At  the  same  time  there  is  great  justice  in  the 
three  propositions  under  which  (he  (Speaker's)  Bible  Commentary  sums  up  the  proofs  of  the  Mosaic 
authorship  of  the  Pentateuch,  viz.,  1.  "Moses  could  have  written  the  Pentateuch.  2.  The  concur- 
rent testimony  of  all  subsequent  times  proves  that  he  did  write  the  Pentateuch.  3.  The  internal 
evidence  points  to  him,  and  to  him  only,  as  the  writer  of  the  Pentateuch."  Vol.  I.,  p.  2.  See  also 
the  limitations  of  the  notion  of  authorship  in  the  same  place.  It  is  however  most  natural  to  sup- 
pose that  many  parts  of  these  records  were  penned  or  dictated  by  Moses  himself,  c.  g.,  his  last 


5  4.   THE  TITLE  OF  THE  BOOR. 


instructions  and  especially  his  great  song  given  in  Deuteronomy.     Any  other  supposition  con« 
sistent  with  his  authorship  is  unreasonable. 

1.  Moses  could  have  written  Numbers.  This  is  a  very  simple  proposition  as  regards  this 
book,  and  presents  none  of  the  difficulties  that  appear  in  reference  to  Genesis.  It  is  little  more 
than  the  question,  could  tbe  book  have  been  written  as  early  as  Moses'  time?  which  question  has 
already  been  sufficiently  considered. 

2.  The  concurrent  testimony  of  subsequent  times  points  to  Moses  as  the  author.  There  is 
little  to  adduce  that  expressly  refers  to  Moses  as  the  author  of  any  matter  that  is  peculiar  to  Num- 
bers ;  perhaps  nothing  but  the  book  of  Joshua  can  be  cited,  which,  however,  abounds  in  such 
reference,  of  which  take  the  following  examples  ;  Josh.  xiii.  14,  33  ;  xiv.  3,  4  :  xviii.  7  ;  xxi.  2. 
Comp.  Num.  xxxiv.,  xxxv.  Many  other  similar  references  in  other  books  to  matter  that  is  com- 
mon to  other  books  of  the  Penteteuch  beside  Numbers  may  be  left  unnoticed.  Still  they  prove  his 
authorship  of  such  matter;  and  as  this  occurs  without  any  discrimination  against  Numbers,  it  is 
as  much  proof  of  his  authorship  of  the  matter  as  it  is  given  in  Numbers  as  of  its  authorship  else- 
where. 

3.  The  internal  evidence  points  to  Moses  as  the  author  of  Numbers.  What  is  remarked  on 
the  Pentateuch  as  a  whole  has  a  particular  application  to  this  one  book.  "In  the  absence  of  all 
intimations  of  a  contrary  nature,  the  preceding  considerations  alone  go  far  to  settle  the  authorship. 
Much  more  must  this  be  the  case  when  fully  confirmed  by  express  testimony  in  the  work  itself, 
regarding  its  author,  and  the  time  and  place  of  its  composition.  It  is  not  an  anonymous  produc- 
tion, the  origin  of  which  must  be  determined  by  considerations  such  as  those  already  adduced.  It 
expressly  claims  to  be  the  work  of  Moses." — In  chap,  xxxiii.  2  it  is  said:  '  And  Moses  wrote  their 
goings  out  (Heb.  their  stations)  according  to  their  journeys  by  the  commandment  of  the  Lord.' 
All  such  passages  have  this  in  common,  that  they  acknowledge  the  necessity  of  the  various  mat- 
ters of  which  they  treat,  legislative  and  historical,  being  committed  to  writing,  and  not  left  to  the 
uncertainties  of  oral  tradition ;  while  it  is  at  the  same  time  perfectly  evident  that  there  is  nothing 
in  the  matters  thus  recorded  by  Moses  to  distinguish  them  from  others,  for  the  insertion  of  which  . 
in  the  history  there  is  no  such  express  command."  J.  Macdonald  on  the  Pentateuch,  Vol,  I.,  pp. 
347,  349.— Tr.] 

^  4.    the  title  of  the  book. 

[The  ancient  Hebrew  designation  of  the  book,  according  to  its  initial  words,  does  not  pretend 
to  throw  any  light  upon  its  character,  while  the  Greek  title,  'Apid^oi,  like  the  Latin,  Numeri, 
describes  the  book  only  according  to  the  censuses  which  occur  in  it.  The  designation  which 
Oriqen  gives  it  is  analogous :  recensiones  (Euseb.  VI.  25).  The  Masoretic  text  has  the  caption 
l^nOJ  because  the  book  contains  the  history  of  the  people  in  the  wilderness. — Tb,].  Bunsen  en- 
titles it  The  Muster-roll.  But  the  thought  which  gives  unity  to  this  book  is  very  concrete  and  defi- 
nite. Both  to  the  book  of  prophetic  legislation,  or  Exodus,  and  to  Leviticus,  the  book  of  sacerdotal 
or  cultus  legislation,  there  is  annexed  the  book  of  the  kingly  calling  of  Israel  under  its  king 
Jehovah,  tbe  book  which  treats  of  the  host  of  God,  of  the  discipline  of  the  army,  of  its  typical 
march  from  Sinai  to  Canaan,  from  the  mount  of  God  to  the  elementary  conquest  of  the  world 
under  the  standard  of  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  and  under  the  guidance  of  Jehovah,  and  because 
this  march  is  typical,  it  is  darkened  and  checked  in  many  ways  by  the  power  of  sin.  Another 
designation  :  "  The  wandering  toward  Canaan,"  is  partly  too  indefinite,  partly  too  narrow,  because 
the  wandering  as  a  whole  had  already  begun  with  the  Exodus  from  Egypt.  The  critical  school 
in  their  treatment  of  this  book  imagine  that  they  have  met  all  the  requirements  when  they  speak, 
as  De  Wette  does,  of  "  the  heterogeneous  elements  of  the  book."  Bleek  gives  prominence  at 
least  to  the  fact  that  the  "  Book  of  Numbers  contains,  like  Exodus,  more  historical  narrative,  by 
far,  than  Leviticus."  Knobel  links  together  the  Books  of  Jfumbers,  Deuteronomy  and  Joshua, 
because  "  they  treat  of  the  quartering  of  this  congregation  of  God,  or  of  its  settlement  in  the  holy 
land."  Consequently  the  book  of  Numbers  is  but  a  third  part  of  the  description  of  this  eflFort ! 
The  analysis  of  the  book  into  its  pretended  elements  seems  to  be  the  main  point  with  these  critics, 
and  hence  they  never  come  to  reflect  upon  the  unity  which  characterizes  these  books. 

[In  relation  to  the  progress  of  the  journey  of  the  Israelites  up  to  the  point  where  Numbers 
begins,  and  also  their  further  progress,  see  the  vol.  on  Exod.  and  Lev.,  pp.  20-26.  For  the  Litera- 
ture on  the  book  see  ibid.  pp.  49,  50. — Tb.] 


»0  NUMBERS. 


I    5.    DIVISION    OF    THE    BOOK. 

Keil    dissects    it   in    the    following    manner:     the   first   part,    which    extends  from    chap. 

i. X.   10,   gives  in  four  groups  the    preparations    for    the    departure   from    Sinai.      In  the  «e- 

condpart,  chap.  x.  11  to  chap.  xxi.  the  history  of  the  march  in  the  three  stages  of  its  progress 
fromSinai  to  the  heights  of  Pisgah  near  Jordan,  is  described.  \n  the  thirdpart,  ch.  xxii.  to  ch.  xxxvi. 
the  events  in  the  steppe  of  Moab  on  the  east  side  of  the  plain  of  Jordan,  with  the  laws  delivered 
there,  are  placed  together  in  five  groups.  The  subdivisions  see  pp.  188,  189.  [Eng.  trans.,  "Vol. 
III.,  pp.  2,  3.— Tr.]. 

According  to  Bunsen  the  book  proper  reaches  to  the  close  of  chap.  xxvi.  Then  follow:  (1)  an 
appendix,  law  of  heiresses,  chap,  xxvii. ;  (2)  a  supplement  concerning  offerings  and  vows,  chaps, 
xxviii. — XXX.;  (3)  various  appendices,  concerning  the  conquest  of  the  Midianites;  the  divi- 
sion of  the  trans-Jordanic  country  ;  the  catalogue  of  encampments  ;  bounda,ries  of  the  promised 
land ;  cities  of  refuge ;  law  concerning  the  marriage  of  heiresses,  chaps,  xxxi. — xxxvi.  Conse- 
quently the  third  part  of  the  record  is  a  medley  of  appendices  and  supplements  ! 

We  distinguish  the  following  parts  :  1.  At  Sinai.  The  equipment  of  the  kingly  host  of 
Jehovah,  chap.  i. — x.  10. — 2.  Toward  Kadesh.  The  departure  and  march  until  the  defeat  of  the 
army.  The  revelation  of  the  spiritual  insufficiency  of  the  typical  army  of  God,  chap.  x.  11 — 
xiv.  45.  3.  At  Kadesh  (Deut.  i.  19;  Numb.  xx.  1;  chap,  xxvii.  14).  The  settlement  after 
the  defeat.  The  obscure  40  (38)  years,  chap.  xv.  —  xx.  13.  4.  A  Section.  From  Kadesh 
ONWARD.  The  departure  until  the  settlement  in  the  plain  of  Moab,  chap.  xx.  14; — xxii.  1.  5.  A 
section.  Israel's  final  preparation  during  his  halt  in  the  plain  of  Moab  (in  the  steppe  of  Moab). 
For  the  separate  subdivisions  see  the  inscriptions  of  the  sections  and  the  table  of  contents. 

§  6.  the  army  of  god. 
The  Army  of  God.  Its  muster  presupposes  a  primary  division  of  the  people  into  the 
twelve  tribes.  These  at  the  starting-point  are  regarded  as  the  branches  of  the  trunk  (n'inSiyO); 
they  however  ramify  into  the  fathers'  houses  (nbx-r>'3)  or  single  patriarchates ;  which  again 
subdivide  into  families ;  and  finally  into  the  individual  names  of  the  warriors  from  twenty  years 
old  and  upward.  A  distinguished  man  is  set  as  captain  over  each  tribe.  Their  names  are  as  fol- 
lows : 

1.  OfJudah.     Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab  (sorcerer  ?  serpent  standard? — Atheling). 

2.  For    Issachar,  Nethaneel,  the  son  of  Zuar  (gift  of  God— littleness,  or  the  little  one). 

3.  For  Zebulun,  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon  (whose  father  is  God— man  of  sorrows  ?  Dream  ?). 

4.  Of  Reuben,  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur  ("whose  rock  is  God  "—son  of  the  stream  of  fire). 

5.  Of  Simeon,   Shelumiel   the  son  of  Zurishaddai    (God's   peace    [Godfried],— Rock  of   the 

Almighty). 

6.  For  Gad,  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Reuel   (whom  God  has  added,  God's  Joseph— Invocation  of 

God). 

7.  For  Ephraim,  Elishama  the  son  of  Ammihud  (whom  God  hears— "From  the  people  of  Ju- 
dah  ?"  impossible!  it  signifies  rather:  my  people  are  the  objects  of  praise). 

8.  For  Manasseh,  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzar,  (Gamliel:  God's  recompense,  God's  rule- 

his  rocli  is  liis  dGlivBrcr). 

9.  For  Benjamin,  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni  (the  father  of  the  judge  or  the  father-judge— the 

woodman  as  a  powerful  warrior). 

10.  For  Dan,  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai  (brother  of  help  ?     Brotherly  help— from  the 

people  of  the  Almighty). 

11.  For  Asher,  Pagiel  the  son  ofOcran  (God's  destiny-the  afflicted  one  =Benoni  ?). 

12.  For  Naphtali,  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan  (brother  of  uproar?  Brother  of  festivity— abounding 

in  springs).  . 

The  words :  "  They  were  the  called  of  the  congregation,  princes  of  the  tribes  of  their 
fathers,  heads  of  thousands  (the  circuits)  of  Israel,"  really  constitute  strict  titles.  From  the 
first  two  qualifications, -as  called  of  the  congregation  and  heads  of  the  tribal  branches, 
resulted  the  third,  their  princely  position.  From  the  rank  of  the  heads  of  a  thousand,  Moses  ele- 
vated them  to  the  generalship  of  the  tribes,  a  promotion  which  was  already  indicated  as  regu- 
lar, by  their  birth. 


2  7.   DIFFICULTIES  PRESENTED  IN  NUMBERS.  11 


The  Result  of  the  Muster.— The  number  of  fighting  men  according  to  the  tribes,  as  com- 
pared with  the  later  numbering  toward  the  end  of  their  march,  (chap,  xxvi.)  : 

Reuben,  46,500  43,730 

Simeon,  59,300  22,200 

Gad,  45,650  40,500 

Judah,  74,600  76,500 

Issachar,  54,400  64,300 

Zebulun,  57,400  60,500 

Ephraim,  40,500  32,500 

Manasseh,  32,200  52,700 

Benjamin,  35,400  45,600 

Dan,  62,700  64,400 

Asher,  41,500  53,400 

Napht»li,  53,400  45,400 


603,550  601,730 

5    7.      DIFFICULTIES     PRESENTED     IN     NUMBERS. 

(a).   The  difference  between  the  two  musters. 

The  decrease  in  the  total  during  a  period  in  which  a  marked  increase  might  justly  have 
been  looked  for,  corresponds  with  the  history  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  and  the  many  great 
catastrophes  that  were  decreed  against  the  people.  With  regard  to  the  decrease  and  increase 
of  the  individual  tribes  (see  Keil,  p.  192),  thejudgments  might  fall  in  very  diflFerent  proportions 
upon  the  different  tribes,  for  it  has  generally  been  supposed,  that  the  tribe  of  Simeon  rendered 
itself  particularly  culpable  according  to  chap.  xxv.  6,  14,  by  its  apostasy  to  the  idolatry  of  Baal 
Peor.  In  this  tribe  tlie  inclination  to  admixture  with  foreign  elements  that  could  come  about  as 
the  other  extreme  to  their  fanatical  particularism.  Gen.  xxxiv.,  and  a  tendencj'  to  dispersion  that  de- 
veloped latterly  into  emigration  (Comm.  Gen.,  p.  564)  may  have  contributed  in  considerable  degree  to 
the  diminution  of  the  tribe.  Since  the  more  definite  laws  concerning  the  tribal  relations  were  first 
enacted  at  a  later  date,  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  single  tribes  up  to  that  time  could  very  well  have 
diminished  or  increased  by  persons  changing  their  tribal  relations,  to  say  nothing  of  the  fact 
that  the  difiFereuce  of  fruitfulness  in  propagation  among  the  difi'erent  tribal-branches  baffles 
all  calculation.  The  passage  chap.  xxvi.  9, 10,  seems  to  indicate  that  the  tribe  of  Reuben  was 
very  much  reduced  by  the  fate  of  the  company  of  Korah.  A  surprising  phenomenon  is  also 
presented  by  the  paucity  of  members  in  the  tribe  of  Levi ;  for  while  in  the  first  census  it  com- 
prised only  22,(J0i)  males,  counted  from  a  month  old  and  upward,  in  the  second,  it  comprised  only 
23,000  (see  Keil,  p.  193).  To  explain  this  we  must  consider  that  this  tribe  sustained  two  heavy 
strokes,  even  if  the  execution  of  the  judgment  Ex.  xxxii.,  had  occurred  wholly  without  detri- 
ment to  the  Levites.  It  is  mentioned  expressly  that  the  sons  of  Aaron,  Nadab  and  Abihu,  died 
childless  (chap.  iii.  4),  and  the  stress  put  upon  the  fact  that  the  children  of  Korah  were  not  de- 
stroyed with  their  father  (chap.  xxvi.  11),  points  directly  to  the  implied  antithesis,  that  after  all 
many  Levites  did  perish  in  the  conspiracy  of  Korah.  Certainly  their  claim  to  a  universal 
priesthood  reappears  later  with  noble  and  sinless  form  in  the  inspiration  of  the  Korahite  sing- 
ers. We  must  also  add  Keil's  suggestion,  that  the  rest  of  the  tribes  did  not  increase  in  the 
same  ratio. 

(6.)   The  proportion  of  the  first-born  to  the  number  of  males  in  the  Tribes. 

The  proportion  of  the  number  of  first-born  in  the  difi'erent  tribes,  as  stated  in  chap.  iii.  40  sq., 
to  the  number  of  Levites,  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  to  the  total  of  the  tribes,  is  a  par- 
ticularly obscure  matter.  Moses  numbered  the  first-born,  in  whose  stead  the  Levites  were  to 
serve  vicariously,  and  found  the  sum  (all  from  a  month  old  and  upward)  to  be  22,273.  Since  the 
number  of  the  Levites  was  22,000,  there  appeared  an  excess  of  273  first-born  ;  of  these  each 
head  had  to  be  redeemed  from  Levitical  duty  by  5  shekels,  so  that  the  sum-total  of  1365  shekels 
was  to  be  paid  as  redemption  money  to  Aaron  and  his  sons.  In  my  opinion  we  must  assume 
that   the    redemption    money    was    apportioned    among   all    the    first-born,    for   how    otherwise 


12  NUMBERS. 


could  the  273,  whose  duty  it  would  be  to  pay  it,  be  designated  ?  But  now  arises  the  question : 
Out  of  the  number  of  603,550  persons  on  whom  devolved  militai-y  duty,  how  could  there  be  only 
22,273  first-born  ?  •'  If  603,550  men  presuppose  a  census  of  more  than  one  million  males, 
then  in  case  the  22,273  were  the  sum  of  all  the  first-born  sons  among  the  whole  people,  there 
would  be  only  one  first-born  to  forty  or  forty-five  males."  Keil  gives  a  summary  of  the  pro- 
fuse discussions  of  this  subject  p.  194,  particularly  as  between  Hengstknbekg  and  Colenso, 
p.  195.  Keil  solves  the  difiBculty  with  the  remark,  that  the  law  concerning  the  sanctification  of 
the  first-born,  Ex.  xiii.  2,  could  have  no  retroactive  force.  "  If  this  be  admitted,  then  among 
22,273  first-born  who  were  exchanged  for  the  Levites  (chap.  iii.  45  sq.)  there  are  included  only 
those  first-born  sons  who  were  born  in  the  interval  from  the  day  of  the  Exodus  from  Egypt  until 
the  muster  of  the  twelve  tribes,  which  was  ordered  and  completed  thirteen  months  later."  Ac- 
cording to  this  supposition,  there  would  be  about  19,000  first-born  for  the  one  year  ;  but  in  this  it 
does  not  appear  to  be  taken  into  account  that  the  half  of  the  first-born  during  the  year  might  be 
females.  Since  the  Levitical  redemption  of  the  first-born  was  an  afi"air  by  itself,  according  to 
Leviticus,  so  here,  agreeably  to  the  idea  of  the  book  of  Numbers,  we  limit  the  payment  here  spolien 
of  to  theocratic  military  duty.  From  this  point  of  view  the  narrative  here  takes  cognizance  of 
only  the  muster  of  the  Levites  ;  they  were  the  bearers  of  the  headquarters  and  of  the  banner.  Since 
the  warriors  who  were  actually  mustered  could  not  be  made  to  do  double  military  duty,  there- 
fore only  those  are  here  spoken  of  who  were  born  Levites,  i.  e.,  first-born  in  the  twelve  tribes,  and 
between  the  ages  of  one  month  to  twenty  years.  If  we  assume  200.000  males  for  the  generation 
between  one  month  and  twenty  years,  and  reckon  nine  members  of  the  family  for  each  first-born,  then 
the  sum-total  sinks  at  once  below  the  actual  number  of  the  22,273  mustered.  In  this  con- 
nection we  must  keep  this  fact  conspicuously  in  view,  that  the  Levites  were  not  counted  from  the 
age  of  twenty  years,  but  from  one  month  upward,  and  that  it  was  therefore  entirely  in  keeping 
to  count  the  first-born  in  the  same  way. 

(c.)  The  relation  of  the  number  603,550  in  Exod.  xxxviii.  26  to  the  same  in  Num.  i. 
What  is  the  relation  of  the  number  603,550  in  Exod.  xxxviii.  26,  as  the  numbering  of  the  tax- 
able males,  under  obligation  to  contribute  a  half  shekel  for  the  erection  of  the  Tabernacle,  to  the 
similar  number  of  those  liable  to  military  duty  in  Numbers  chap,  i.?  ''Four  weeks  after  the  rear- 
ing of  the  Tabernacle  (comp.  chap.  i.  1,  with  Exod.  xl.  17),  Moses,  in  obedience  to  the  divine  com- 
mand, caused  the  sum  of  the  entire  congregation  to  be  taken  according  to  the  families  and  the 
fathers'  bouses  of  the  twelve  tribes,  and  all  the  males  from  twenty  years  old  and  upwards  to  be 
registered  for  military  service  under  Jehovah  (chap.  i.  1-3).  The  numbering  of  the  people 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  the  redemption  money  from  each  male  poll,  from  twenty  years  old  up- 
wards (comp.  Ex.  XXX.  11  sq.  with  xxxviii.  26),  had  already  taken  place  nine  months  earlier,  and 
resulted  in  603,550  polls,  the  identical  number  which  is  here  named  as  the  total  of  all  who  were 
mustered  of  the  twelve  tribes."  Keil  explains  the  striking  similarity  of  both  numberings,  be- 
tween which,  however,  the  changes  of  a  year  lay,  as  "simply"  due  to  the  fact  that  the  earlier 
numbering  was  taken  as  the  basis  of  the  later  one,  and  that  the  second  was  only  a  special  ap- 
plication of  the  former.  Our  text  evidently  requires  an  instantaneous  numbering.  Hence  we  might 
assume  that  the  former  census  was  more  exactly  determined  by  the  later  and  more  definite  one. 
The  supposition  that  the  entire  muster  had  continued  for  one  year,  and  was  first  summed  up  here, 
would  be  still  nearer  the  truth. 

{d.)   The  possibility  of  supporting  life  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai. 

Knobel  has  raised  the  following  objections  to  the  historical  truth  or  authenticity  of  the  above 
Dumerical  statement  for  the  Mosaic  period.  "  Such  a  mass  of  human  beings  could  not  have  lived 
for  any  length  of  time  on  the  Sinaitic  peninsula,  since  recent  travellers  estimate  the  present  popu- 
lation at  only  four,  or,  at  the  highest,  seven  thousand  souls,  and  express  the  opinion  that  the 
land  could  never  have  been  fit  for  the  support  of  a  population  of  over  50,000  souls."  In  an- 
swer to  this  objection,  Keil  appeals  first  of  all  to  the  marvellous  sustentation  of  the  people  by 
manna.  T^en,  moreover,  to  the  former  abundance  of  vegetation  in  the  Peninsula,  as  Ritter  has 
testified  in  his  Erdkunde  XIY.,  p.  926  sq.,  and  as  the  same  is  authenticated  by  historical  monu- 
ments, mines,  villages,  masonry,  garden,  field  and  fountain-works,  and  in  later  times  by  clois- 
ters and  hermitages.     The  inscriptions  scattered  everywhere,  especially  those  at  Sinai  and  at  Ser- 


§  7.   DIFFICULTIES  PRESENTED  IN  NUMBERS.  13 

bal,  furnish  additional  evidence.  He  also  adduces  a  statement  of  Osk.  Fraas  on  the  climatic 
change  in  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula  within  historic  times.  [Aus  dem  Orient.  Geolog.  Beobachtungen  am 
Nil  aitf  der  S.  H.  I.  und  in  Syrien,  Stultg.,  1867,  p.  27  sqq.  Palmer  considers  the  question: 
•'  Was  the  country  more  fertile  in  the  time  of  the  Exodus  than  it  is  now  ?  While  admitting 
the  miraculous  manner  in  which  the  twelve  tribes  were  supported,  we  shall  disarm  many  ob- 
jectors if  we  can  show  with  reason  that  there  were  resources  in  the  country  of  which  they 
might  have  availed  themselves  at  certain  seasons  and  at  certain  places,  since  this  would  account 
for  the  silence  of  the  Bible  upon  many  points  which  would  otherwise  seem  inexplicable — I 
mean  in  cases  where  no  special  miraculous  provision  is  recorded. 

That  rain  actually  fell  during  the  passage  of  the  Israelites  through  the  country  we  learn  from 
Psalm  Ixviii.  7-9:  '0  God,  when  Thou  wentest  forth  before  the  people,  when  Thou  didst  march 
through  the  wilderness ;  Selah.  The  earth  shook,  the  heavens  also  dropped  at  the  presence 
of  God  ;  even  Sinai  itself  was  moved  at  the  presence  of  God,  the  God  of  Israel.  Thou,  O  God, 
didst  send  a  plentiful  rain,  whereby  Thou  didst  confirm  Thine  inheritance,  when  it  was  weary.' 
And  such  passages  as  'the  clouds  poured  out  water,'  Psalm  Ixxvii.  17,  where  the  allusion  is  evi- 
dently to  Sinai,  also  tend  to  confirm  the  supposition  that  the  Peninsula  was  better  supplied  with 
veater  at  the  time  of  the  Exodus. 

There  are  still  many  groves  of  acacia  and  other  trees  in  the  Peninsula,  and  these,  like  the  gar- 
dens, form  a  sort  of  a  barricade  against  the  force  of  the  torrents.  Now  when  one  of  them  is  de- 
stroyed, and  a  storm  comes,  whatever  vegetation  depended  on  or  was  protected  by  the  forest  is 
soon  swept  away,  and  barrenness  and  devastation  mark  the  course  of  the  stream  down  to  the  sea. 
It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  rain  falls  more  gently  and  regularly  where  there  is  vegetation.  Now 
the  Bible  tells  us  that  there  existed  a  large  population  in  and  near  Sinai  at  the  time  of  the  Ex- 
odus, and  the  traces  of  them  which  still  remain  indicate  that  they,  like  the  old  monks,  did  hus- 
band to  the  utmost  the  resources  of  the  country. 

Again,  there  are  abundant  vestiges  of  large  colonies  of  Egyptian  miners,  whose  slag  heaps 
and  smelting  furnaces  are  yet  to  be  seen  in  many  parts  of  the  Peninsula.  These  must  have  de- 
stroyed many  miles  of  forest  in  order  to  procure  the  fuel  necessary  for  carrying  on  their  opera- 
tions;  nay,  more,  the  children  of  Israel  could  not  have  passed  through  without  consuming  vast 
quantities  of  fuel  too.  But,  if  forest  after  forest  disappeared  in  this  way,  if  population  dwindled 
down  to  a  few  non-agricultural  tribes,  and  cultivation  were  neglected,  then  the  rain  that  falls  so 
seldom  would  no  longer  stay  to  fertilize  the  land,  but  in  an  unimpeded  torrent  would  find  its  way 
down  to  the  sea ;  a  burning  summer  sun  would  soon  complete  the  work,  and  a  few  ages  would 
make  the  Peninsula  of  Sinai  what  we  see  it  now.  I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  reason  away  the 
signal  miracles  by  which  the  Jewish  hosts  were  fed,  but  I  do  believe  that  whatsoever  God  thought 
fit,  that  He  did  for  His  chosen  people,  and  that  God's  servant,  Nature,  did  the  rest."  Palmer, 
Desert  of  the  Exodus,  pp.  34,  35,  Harper's  Edition. 

The  Rev.  F.  W.  Holland  testifies  :  "  There  are  evident  traces  that  there  has  been,  owing  to  va- 
rious reasons,  a  very  considerable  decrease  in  the  amount  of  vegetation  in  the  Peninsula  ;  al- 
though even  now  the  country  is  not  so  barren  as  it  has  generally  been  described.  The  observa- 
tions of  travellers  on  this  point  have  been  chiefly  confined  to  a  few  of  the  main  valleys  and  prin- 
cipal mountains  ;  but  it  is  not  till  one  has  wandered  oflF  the  beaten  tracks,  and  explored  the 
slopes  of  the  lower  mountains  and  the  less  frequented  wadys,  that  one  can  really  arrive  at  a 
just  estimate  of  the  supply  of  water,  and  capabilities  of  the  country  for  affording  pasturage. 
Long  before  the  children  of  Israel  marched  through  the  wilderness,  the  mines  were  worked 
by  the  Egyptians,  and  the  destruction  of  the  trees  was  probably  going  on.  It  is  hardly  likely  that 
the  Israelites  themselves  would  have  passed  a  year  in  an  enemy's  country,  knowing  that  they 
were  to  march  onward,  without  adding  largely  to  this  destruction.  Their  need  of  fuel  must 
have  been  great,  and  they  would  not  hesitate  to  cut  down  the  trees,  and  lay  waste  the  gardens; 
and  thus  before  they  journeyed  onward  from  Mount  Sinai  they  may  have  caused  a  complete 
change  in  the  face  of  the  surrounding  country. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  rainfall  of  a  country  depends  in  a  great  measure  upon  the 
abundance  of  its  trees.  The  destruction  of  the  trees  in  Sinai  has  no  doubt  greatly  diminished 
the  rainfall,  which  has  also  been  gradually  lessened  by  the  advance  of  the  desert  and  the  de- 
crease of  cultivation  on  the  north  and  northwest,  whereby  a  large  rain-making  area  has  gradually 
been  removed.     In    consequence,  too,  of  the  mountainous  character  of  the  Peninsula  of  Sinai, 


14  NUMBERS. 


the  destruction  of  the  trees  would  have  a  much  more  serious  effect  than  would  be  the  case  in 
most  countries.  Formerly,  when  the  mountain  sides  were  terraced,  when  garden  walls  extended 
across  the  wadys,  and  the  roots  of  trees  retained  the  moisture  and  broke  the  force  of  the  water, 
the  terrible  floods  that  now  occur,  and  sweep  every  thing  before  them,  were  impossible."  Rev, 
F.  W.  Holland,  Explorations  of  the  Peninsula  of  Sinai,  in  The  Recovery  of  Jerusalem,  pp.  424  425 
— Tr.]. 

The  second  objection  is  of  much  less  importance:  "had  the  Israelites  in  the  Mosaic  age, 
been  a  people  of  several  millions,  particularly  in  view  of  their  then  bravery,  they  would  have  con- 
quered the  little  land  more  easily  and  in  quicker  time."  This  argument  is  based  upon  the  no- 
tion that  war  and  victory  depend  entirely  upon  numbers. 

Under  No.  3  the  most  inconsiderable  objections  are  only  touched  upon.  (Keil,  190, 191).  The 
consideration  that  the  Israelites  out  of  the  forty  years'  sojourn,  had  Kadesh  as  the  centre  of  their 
settlement  for  full  thirty-eight  years,  is  of  particular  weight  for  us.  This  settlement  is  indicated 
by  the  summary  narrative,  Deut.  i.  46.  "So  ye  abode  in  Kadesh  many  days  according  unto  the 
days  that  ye  abode  there:'  Luther  translates  it,  "Thus  ye  remained  a  long  time  in  Kadesh,"  and 
similarly  Bunsen.  In  this  way  "ik/K  D'P^'I,  etc.,  is  simply  left  out.  Zunz  renders  it:  "As  the  time 
that  you  remained."  De  Wettb  similarly:  "The  time  that  you  remained."  But  this  is  pure 
tautology  !  As  soon  as  we  deal  earnestly  with  the  verb  T\D\  and  surrender  the  fabulous  notion  of 
a  twofold  settlement  in  Kadesh  during  the  thirty-eight  years,  the  sense  of  the  expression  becomes 
entirely  clear.  According  to  chap.  xiii.  4  (xii.  16),  the  Israelites  came  from  Hazeroth  and  en- 
camped in  the  wilderness  of  Paran ;  thence  Moses  sent  out  the  spies,  according  to  chap.  xiii.  3; 
but  they  are  also  said  to  have  gone  out  from  the  wilderness  of  Zin  (which  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  the  wilderness  of  Sin  and  just  as  little  Paran  with  Feiran)according  to  chap.  xiii.  21. 
The  same  place  of  encampment  is  called  Kadesh-Barnea,  in  Deut.  i.  19.  From  this  point  the  self- 
willed  army  broke  forth  in  the  direction  of  southern  Canaan,  and  was  driven  back  as  far  as  Hor- 
mah,  which  without  doubt  lay  in  the  region  of  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  whose  northerly  side  was 
called  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  and  whose  southerly  and  more  secure  side  is  surely  Kadesh-Barnea. 
The  passage  xx.  1  refers  to  that  attack  upon  Southern  Palestine.  The  sons  of  Israel  had  come  as 
far  as  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  but  the  people  then  settled  down  permanently  at  Kadesh.  Then  from 
this  point  also,  after  more  than  thirty-eight  years,  the  march  back  to  the  Red  Sea  took  place 
according  to  chap.  xx.  14,  22 ;  xxi.  1,  which  must  be  rendered  as  a  pluperfect  because  it  is  a 
reminiscence. 

Thus,  too,  is  explained  the  glorification  of  Mount  Paran  in  the  blessing  of  Moses,  and  why  it 
attains  therein  a  like  dignity  with  Mount  Sinai,  Deut.  xxxiii.  2.  In  the  passage  Hab.  iii.  8  Mount 
Paran  may  even  representatively  include  Sinai.  Manifestly  it  is  thoroughly  untenable  to  refer,  as 
Kdrtz  does,  an  apostasy  to  idolatry  of  many  years'  duration  to  this  period  of  the  sojourn 
of  Israel  in  Paran,  the  very  time  in  which  the  Korahites  developed,  with  fanaticism  even,  the 
doctrine  of  the  universal  priesthood  of  the  people.  The  prophetic  rebukes  (Amos  v.  25,  et  at.) 
find  their  interpretation  to  some  extent  here,  and  somewhat  also  in  the  partial  apostasy  in  the 
Steppe  of  Moab.  Moreover  Paran  can  hardly  be  meant  by  ''the  great  and  terrible  wilderness," 
Deut.  i.  19,  as  the  Bible  Dictionary  for  Christian  people  assumes.  Paran  had  even  a  terebinth-grove 
and  a  wady,  and  is  still  a  region  rich  in  springs.  Vid.  Winer,  Art.  Kadesh,  with  reference  to 
Robinson,  particularly  to  Rowland's  researches,  1842  [Williams'  Holy  City  Extract  from  letter 
of  Rev.  J.  Rowland,  Vol.  I.,  p.  466  sqq. — Tr.].  Since  roads  radiate  from  Paran  in  all  directions 
into  the  remoter  regions,  the  people  could  make  their  residence  in  Kadesh  the  centre  of  the  great 
nomadic  region,  whereby  they  could  eke  out  their  support.  That  the  Israelites  in  the  beginning 
had  occasion  to  complain  of  (he  scarcity  of  water  (chap.  xx.  2),  does  not  conflict  with  the  subse- 
quent discovery  of  springs.  But  in  the  end  the  people  in  the  plains  of  Moab  appear  again  to  be 
impoverished,  in  spite  of  their  means  of  relief,  those  miraculous  ones  too,  which  above  all  things, 
supported  also  the  spirit  of  faith.  The  avenging  expedition  against  the  Midianites  was  certainly 
as  little  a  march  for  mere  pillage,  as  was  the  exodus  of  the  Jews  with  the  materials  which  the 
Egyptians  flung  to  them;  still  it  was  rich  in  booty,  and  so  far,  the  new  and  grand  outfit  at  the 
close  of  the  journey  forms  a  parallel  to  the  rich  outfit  at  its  beginning.  Concerning  Rowland's 
discovery  of  Kadesh,  see  Ritter,  Erdkunde  14  Theil.,  3  Buck,  Westasien,  p.  1088  (the  entire  discus- 
Bion,  p.  1077  sqq.).     Knobel's  Remarks,  vid.  p.  2  sqq. 


§  7.    DIFFICULTIES  PRESENTED  IN  NUMBERS.  15 

(e.)   The  Journey  of  the  Israelites  from  Sinai  to  the  Steppe  of  Moab. 
See  General  Introduction.     [Comm.  Exodus  and  Leviticus,  p.  21  sq. — Tr.]. 

(/.)  The  Unity  of  the  Book  of  Numbers. 
Knobel  produces  a  pretty  desperate  result  for  the  supplemental  hypothesis:  "  Except  chap, 
iv.  17-20  all  these  fragments  are  component  parts  of  the  fundamental  document."  Thus  almost 
an  entire  book  throughout  is  Elohistic  !  The  Jehovistic  character  of  this  excepted  portion  is 
readily  explained  from  its  internal  relations, as  indicating  Jehovah's  care  for  the  priestly  tribe. 
Nevertheless  there  is  lacking  a  proper  estimate  of  the  formal  unity  of  the  book  (see  p.  1).  Further 
on  he  speaks  indeed  of  many  Jehovistic  supplements  (p.  101),  and  here  we  are  even  assured  that 
the  Elohist  makes  the  people  to  go  through  the  northern  part  of  Edom,  while  the  Jehovist  speaks 
of  their  compassing  the  Land  of  Edom.  This  unity  is  more  strenuously  questioned  in  Bleek's 
Introduction  (p.  287  sqq.,  3d  ed.,  1870).  The  section  concerning  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  of  fire, 
chap.  ix.  15-23,  is  said  to  occupy  a  very  unsuitable  position ;  as  if  the  description  of  the  theo- 
cratic oriflamme,  the  banner  of  the  army,  were  out  of  position  in  the  very  place  where  the  sub- 
ject matter  is  the  equipment  of  the  army !  Its  position  in  Ex.  xl.  34-38,  he  regards  as  more 
fitting.  There  is  no  trace  of  any  perception  of  a  difi"erence  between  the  two  points  of  view  !  The 
relation  of  chap.  i.  1  to  ix.  1,  Bleek  calls  an  unchronological  statement.  According  to  the  first 
passage,  the  muster  was  completed  on  the  first  day  of  the  second  month  in  the  second  year  after 
the  Exodus.  Of  course  the  time  cannot  advance  from  this  date  to  the  first  month  in  the  se- 
cond year  of  the  Exodus  as  given  in  chapter  ix.  Hence  the  date  in  this  passage  is  to  be  explained 
only  as  in  pluperfect  time,  occasioned  by  the  organic  construction  of  the  book,  according  to 
which  the  mention  of  the  Little-passover  could  be  made  first  in  this  place.  On  the  twentieth  of  tho 
second  month  of  the  second  year  the  decampment  itself  began,  therefore,  twenty  days  after  the 
completed  muster.  Now  when  it  says  in  chap.  xx.  1,  "  they  came  into  the  desert  of  Zin  in  tho 
first  month,"  this  indefinite  statement  cannot  go  back  of  the  second  month  of  the  second  year, 
when  the  muster  was  completed,  nor  yet  jump  over  to  the  first  month  of  the  fortieth  year,  as  e. 
a.,  in  Daechsel's  Bibelwerk,  p.  468,  because  by  that  time  the  Israelites  had  been  for  a  long  while 
familiar  with  the  abundance  of  water  there  was  in  Paran.  It  is  the  first  month  of  the  settlement 
in  Paran,  and  therefore  the  first  month  in  the  third  year  of  the  Exodus,  and  the  actual  motive 
which  prompts  the  narrator  to  revert  so  emphatically  to  the  past,  lies  in  the  impending  death  of 
the  great  trio,  Moses,  Aaron,  and  Miriam.  The  account  of  the  death  of  Miriam  is  first  given ; 
then  the  fall  by  which  Moses  incurred  his  death  before  the  entrance  into  Canaan  ;  and  finally, 
with  a  leap  over  the  entire  period  of  the  settlement  in  Kadesh,  the  death  of  Aaron.  Bleek  per- 
ceives correctly  that  the  first  month  of  the  third  year  of  the  Exodus  from  Egypt  is  meant  by  the 
first  month  of  the  arrival  in  Zin.  It  is  also  correct  to  say  that  the  time  when  Aaron  died,  according 
to  xxxiii.  38,  falls  in  the  fifth  month  of  the  fortieth  year  after  the  Exodus  from  Egypt,  and  there- 
fore thirty-seven  or  thirty-eight  years  later  than  the  above-mentioned  arrival  in  Kadesh.  But  if 
we  conclude  therefrom  that  a  period  of  nearly  thirty-eight  years  is  embraced  here  in  a  few 
verses,  we  shall  overlook  the  fact  that  the  account  in  xx.  1  sqq.,  for  material  reasons,  refers 
to  a  previous  time,  while  the  occurrences  at  Kadesh  began  already  with  the  fifteenth  chapter. 
Therefore  the  idea  of  a  great  hiatus  has  no  foundation.  But,  besides,  Bleek  discovers  a  diifer- 
ence  between  viii.  23-26  and  iv.,  in  regard  to  the  time  spent  in  service  by  the  Levites.  This  en- 
tire difi"erence  is  resolved,  if  we  distinguish  between  the  Levitical  ofiicial  age  of  twenty-five  years 
in  general,  and  the  Levitical  ofiBcial  age  of  thirty  years  for  the  charge  and  the  transportation 
of  the  sanctuary.  There  is  no  contradiction  between  the  two  statements  that  the  Levites 
who  did  service  in  the  transportation  of  the  sanctuary  were,  like  the  priests,  first  qualified  for  the 
charge  at  the  age  of  thirty,  while  the  Levites  ordinarily  became  bound  to  service,  in  a  more 
general  sense,  already  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  (see  Keil,  p.  225).  It  is  said  that  the  contents 
of  chap.  iii.  do  not  agree  with  the  two  preceding  and  with  the  following  chapter  ;  but  this  amounts 
simply  to  the  difference  between  more  general  and  more  definite  ordinances,  as  appears  in  the 
subsequent  discussion. 


THE  THIRD  BOOK  OF  THE  TRILOGY  OF  THE  LAW. 


NIJMBEKS: 


OB 


THE  FOURTH  BOOK  OF  MOSES. 


nSTl  or  -15-1^5;     \4pcdftoi;  ^TJUERl.) 

Moses  and  the  Army  of  God.     The  Politicai.  or  kingly  Messianic  Theocracy.     The  the- 
ocratic   ROYAL    RULE    OF    JeHOVAH    OVER    HiS    HOST.       ThE   TYPICAL    HOST    OF    GOD,— ItS  RIGID 

DISCIPLINE — Its  equipment — Its  departure — Its  defeat  and  rejuvenation  in  the  period 
OF  bepentance — Its    first   victories  and   its    preparation  for  entrance  into  Canaan. 


FIRST  PART. 

THE  KINGLY  HOST  OF  JEHOVAH. 


Chapters  I. — X. 


FIRST    SECTION. 


THE  ARMY  OF   THE   LORD.      THE   ENUMERATION  OR   MUSTER  OF   THE  WARRIORS. 
THE  ARMY'S  ORDER  OF  ENCAMPMENT  AND  MARCH. 

Chapters  I.,  II. 

Moses  and  Aaron  with  twelve  princes  muster  the  men  of  war.     Levites 
exempted  and  retained  to  serve  the  tabernacle. 

Chapter  I.  1—54. 

Moses,  Aaron,  and  the  Twelve  Princes. 

1  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  in  *the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation,  on  the  first  day  of  the  second  month,  in  the  second  year  after 

2  they  were  come  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  saying.  Take  ye  the  sum  of  all  the  con- 
gregation of  the  children  of  Israel  after  their  families,  by  ''the  house  of  their  fathers, 

3  with  the  '"number  of  their  names,  every  male  by  their  polls;  From  twenty  years 
old  and  upward,  "all  that  are  able  to  go  forth  to  war  in  Israel :  thou  and  Aaron 

4  shall  ''number  them  by  their  Armies.     And  with  you  there  shall  be  a  man  of  every 

5  tribe  ;  every  one  head  of  the  house  of  his  fathers.     And  these  are  the  names  of  the 
men  that  shall  stand  with  you  :  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben  ;  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur. 

6,  7  Of  Simeon  ;  Shemuliel  the  son  of  Zurishaddai.     Of  Judah  ;  Nahshon  the  sonof 
8,9  Amminadab.     Of  Isaachar;  Nethaneel  the  son  of  Zuar.     Of  Zebulun ;  Eliab 
10  the  son  of  Helen.     Of  the  children  of  Joseph  :  of  Ephraim  ;  Elishama  the  son  of 
2  17 


18  NUMBERS. 


11  Ammihud:  ofManasseh;  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur.  Of  Benjamin  ;  Abidan 
12, 13  the  son  of  Gideoni.  Of  Dan  ;  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai.  Of  Asher  ; 
14, 15  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ocran.     Of  Gad  ;  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel.     Of  Naphtali ; 

16  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan.  These  ^were  the  renowned  of  the  congregation,  princes  of 
the  tribes  of  their  fathers,  heads  of  thousands  in  Israel. 

The  Muster. 

17  And  Moses  and  Aaron  took  these  men  which  are  expressed  by  their  names  : 

18  And  they  assembled  all  the  congregation  together  on  the  first  day  of  the  second 
month,  and  'they  declared  their  pedigrees  after  their  families,  by  "the  house  of  their 
fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward, 

19  by  their  polls.^  As  the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  ''so  he  ^numbered  them  in  the 
wilderness  of  Sinai. 

20  And  the  children  of  Reuben,  Israel's  'eldest  son,  by  their  generations,  after  their 
families,  by  "the  house  of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  by 
their  polls,  every  male  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go 

21  forth  to  war ;  Those  that  were  ^numbered  of  them,  even  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  xoere 
forty  and  six  thousand  and  five  hundred. 

22  Of  the  children  of  Simeon,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by  'the  house 
of  their  fathers,  those  that  were  ^numbered  of  them,  according  to  the  number  of  the 
names,  by  their  polls,  every  male  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  "all  that  were 

23  able  to  go  forth  to  war ;  Those  that  were  ^numbered  of  them,  even  of  the  tribe  of 
Simeon,  were  fifty  and  nine  thousand  and  three  hundred. 

24  Of  the  children  of  Gad,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by  "the  house  of 
their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 

25  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war  ;  Those  that  were  ^'numbered  of  them, 
even  of  the  tribe  of  Gad,  were  forty  and  five  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty. 

26  Of  the  children  of  Judah,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by  "the  house 
of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 

27  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war ;  Those  that  were  ""numbered  of  them, 
even  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  were  threescore  and  fourteen  thousand  and  six  hundred. 

28  Of  the  children  of  Issachar,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by  "the  house 
of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 

29  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war ;  Those  that  were  ''numbered  of  them, 
even  of  the  triba  of  Issachar,  were  fifty  and  four  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

30  Of  the  children  of  Zebulun,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by  "the  house 
of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 

31  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war ;  Those  that  were  ''numbered  of  them, 
even  of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  were  fifty  and  seven  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

32  Of  the  children  of  Joseph,  namely,  of  the  children  of  Ephraim,  by  their  generations, 
after  their  families,  by  "the  house  of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the 
names,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war ; 

33  Those  that  were  ^numbered  of  them,  even  of  the  ti'ibe  of  Ephraim,  were  forty  thou- 
sand and  five  hundred. 

34  Of  the  children  ofManasseh,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by  "the  house 
of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 

35  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war  ;  Those  that  were  ''numbered  of  them, 
even  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  were  thirty  and  two  thousand  and  two  hundred. 

36  Of  the  children  of  Benjamin,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by  "the  house 
of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 

37  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war  ;  Those  that  were  ^numbered  of  them, 
even  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  were  thirty  and  five  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

38  Of  the  children  of  Dan,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by"  the  house  of 
their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 

39  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war  ;  Those  that  were  ''numbered  of  them, 
even  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  were  threescore  and  two  thousand  and  seven  hundred. 

40  Of  the  children  of  Asher,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by  "the  house 
of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 


CHAP.  I.  1-54.  19 


41  upward,  'all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war ;  Those  that  were  ^numbered  of  them, 
even  of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  were  forty  and  one  thousand  and  five  hundred. 

42  Of  the  children  of  Naphtali,  throughout  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by 
"the  house  of  their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years 

43  old  and  upward,  "all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war  ;  Those  that  were  ''numbered 
j^^    of  them,  even  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  ^vere  fifty  and  three  thousand  and  four  hun- 

44  dred.  These  are  those  that  were  ''numbered,  which  Moses  and  Aaron  numbered, 
and  the  princes  of  Israel,  being  twelve  men ;  each  one  was  for  "the  house  of  his 
fathers. 

45  So  were  all  those  that  were  "numbered  of  the  children  of  Israel,  by  "the  house  of 
their  fathers,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  'all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to 

46  war  in  Israel ;  Even  all  they  that  were  "numbered  were  six  hundred  thousand  and 

47  three  thousand  and  five  hundred  and  fifty.  But  the  Levites  after  the  tribe  of  their 
fathers  were  not  "numbered  among  them. 

The  Levites  exempted. 

48, 49  ^'For  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  Moses,  saying.  Only  thou  shalt  not  "number 

50  the  tribe  of  Levi,  neither  take  the  sum  of  them  among  the  children  of  Israel :  But 
*thou  shalt  ''appoint  the  Levites  over  the  tabernacle  of  testimony,  and  over  all  the 
vessels  thereof,  and  over  all  things  that  belong  to  it :  they  shall  bear  the  tabernacle, 
and  all  the  vessels  thereof ;  and  they  shall  minister  unto  it,  and  shall  encamp  round 

51  about  the  tabernacle.  And  when  the  tabernacle  setteth  forward,  the  Levites  shall 
take  it  down  ;  and  when  the  tabernacle  is  to  be  pitched,  the  Levites  shall  set  it  up : 

52  and  the  stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death.  And  the  children  of 
Israel  shall  pitch  their  tents  every  man  by  his  own  camp,  and  every  man  by  his 

53  own  standard,  'throughout  their  hosts.  But  the  Levites  shall  pitch  round  about 
the  tabernacle  of  testimony,  that  there  be  no  wrath  upon  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel  :  and  the  Levites  shall  keep  the  charge  of  the  tabernacle  of  tes- 

54  timony.  And  the  children  of  Israel  did  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses,  so  did  they. 

»  the  Tent  of  Meeting.  *  their  fathers'  houses.  '  all  who  went  forth  to  the  army. 

*  hosts.  •  (ire  they  that  were  called  of.  '  they  had  themselves  inscribed  in  the  birth-registers. 

t  comma.  •"  and.  '  first-born. 

)  And  the  LORD  spake.  *  omit  thou  shalt.  '  according  to. 


»  mustered,  muster. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


[Ver.  1.  *13ni.  The  1  of  itself  gives  no  proof  of  our  book  having  a  special  or  organic  connection  with  Levit- 
icus. Were  that  the  case,  then  a  similar  inference  must  be  made  of  a  relation  between  Joshua  and  Deutero- 
nomy, and  betvreen  Judges  aad  Joshua.    In  eases  like  the  present,  the  Vav.  conversive  simply  introduces  vchat 

is  related  as  a  sequel  to  events  preceding.    It  is  left  to  the  reader  to  recall  what  precedes     Dr\X2^7-    The  7  with 

the  inf.  const,  has  here  the  force  of  the  genitive,  as  appears  from  its  conjunction  with  K?in7-  See  Fueest  sub. 
vocA,9.  It  is  common  in  giving  dates;  comp.  Gen.  vii.  11;  Exod.  xix.  1.  The  inf.  is  used  liere  as  a  noun  = 
"  their  exodus." 

Ver.  2.  The  7  before  three  different  nouns  in  this  verse  is  distributive;  comp.  Josh.  vii.  14, 16  "  according  to 

your  tribes,"  "  by  their  tribes." — By  would  be  a  good  rendering  here. DHDX    iTH;-    This  phrase,  that  occurs 

so  frequently  invvhat  follows,  has  a  grammatical  peculiarity,  or  even  oddity.    3X    IT'S  expresses  a  single  notion 

"  father' s-house,"  the  plural  of  which  is  "  fathers'-houses."  The  Hebrew  forms  the  plural  by  giving  a  plural 
ending  to  the  second  noun,  much  as  in  English  it  is  common  to  say  "  the  Miss  Smiths."  On  this  and  other 
exaniples,  see  Ewald,  g  270,  c. 

Ver.  10.  "11Vm3-  On  the  H  quiescent  in  the  middle  of  the  word  see  Green's  Gram.,  §  13  6.  But  some  MSS. 
and  editions  read  "1^2^  mS- 

Ver.  16.  rnj^n    ''N''1p.    "The  K'ri  needlessly  suggests  '"t^^lp  con/,  xvi.  2,"  Maureb.    They  are  designated 

"as  called  men  of  the  congregation,  because  they  were  called  to  the  diets  of  the  congregation,  as  representatives  of 
the  tribes."  Keil. 

Ver.  18.  "  ^n^TI'l  an  expressive  an.  Key.,"  Lange,  "  to  announce  themselves  as  born,  i.  e.,  to  have  themselves  en- 
tered in  genealogical  registers  "  (Keil). 

Ver.  22.  "The  S  before  ''J3,  in  this  and  the  following  verses,  seems  to  mean  the  same  as  the  German  auf,  to, 

used  in  counting."  Lange. 

Ver.  47.  npi3nn.     On  the  H  see  Green  Gr.,  §  96,  a.— Tb.]. 


20 


NUMBERS. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

I.  1-4.  And  the  LORD  spake.— The  date 
c^  the  divine  command.  See  the  Text.  The  pur- 
pose of  the  command  to  muster  the  people. — The 
whole  congregation  is  to  be  a  host  of  the  King 
Jehovah,  "  a  people  in  arms  ;"  nevertheless  hu- 
man nature  requires  that  the  whole  people  be 
represented  by  the  selection  of  its  men  able  to 
bear  arms.  To  which  end  every  one  who  is 
twenty  years  old  must  enter  upon  military  duty  ; 
no  term  is  fixed  at  which  military  service  should 
cease.  The  infirm,  the  women,  the  children,  the 
unclean  must  be  added  to  those  few  who  were  of 
course  invalidated  by  age.  But  the  Levites  are  not 
here  made  free  from  military  duty  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, they  form  the  ideal  power  of  the  array,  in 
that  it  is  their  office  to  carry  the  tabernacle  as 
the  banner  of  Jehovah,  as  the  Theocratic  banner 
of  victorj'.  On  account  of  its  importance  the 
time  of  their  service  is  therefore  fixed  definitely, 
from  twentj'-five,  relatively  thirty,  to  fifty  years. 
The  natural  organization  of  the  people  served 
as  a  basis  for  the  muster  ;  tribes,  tribal- branches 
or  clans,  fathers'-houses,  and  finally  their  sum- 
total  by  individuals,  all  registered  by  name. 
Moses  and  Aaron  were  to  attend  to  this  business 
of  the  muster  by  having  in  evei-y  tribe  a  captain 
chosen  from  the  same  to  act  for  them. 

[In  the  vrilderness  of  Sinai. — Ex.  xix.  1,  2, 
(comp.  itinerary  xxxiii.  15)  shows  the  order  of 
stations  reached  in  the  march  to  Sinai,  to  have 
been  :  Rephidim,  the  entrance  into  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai,  and  then  the  approach  to  the  moun- 
tain. Lev.  vii.  38  shows  the  proximity  of  the 
wilderness  of  Sinai  to  the  mountain  ;  x.  12  and 
xxxiii.  16,  show  that  the  wilderness  of  Sinai 
stretches  as  far  as  the  wilderness  of  Paran.  The 
Ordnance  Survey  Expedition  to  the  Peninsula  of 
Sinai  in  1868-'iJ9,  has  confirmed  in  great  part 
the  conclusions  of  Robinson  and  Stanley,  and 
therefore  of  tradition.  All  the  members  of  the 
expedition,  save  Mr.  Holland,  concluded  that 
Rephidim  is  in  the  Wady  Fciran  at  Uesy  el  Khat- 
tatin.  Mr.  Holland  alone  places  it  "at  the  nar- 
row pass  of  El  Watiyeh  in  Wady  es  Sheikh." 
They  were  unanimous  in  deciding  that  the  pri- 
mary camping  ground  of  the  wilderness  of  Sinai 
was  the  great  plain  B?-  Raheh,  and  that  Mount 
Sinai  is  Jehd  Mma  while  the  mountain  from 
which  the  law  was  delivered,  the  one  "which 
can  be  touched,"  is  a  peak  of  Jebel  Musa,  Res 
Su/sofeh.  In  Er  Raheh  there  would  be  ample 
room  for  the  entire  mass  of  the  people  when  they 
gave  audience  to  the  law.  "A  calculation  made 
by  Capt.  Palmer,  from  the  actual  measurements 
taken  on  the  spot,  proves  that  the  space  extend- 
ing from  the  base  of  the  mountain  to  the  water- 
shed or  crest  of  the  plain,  is  large  enough  to  have 
accommodated  the  entire  host  of  the  Israelites, 
estimated  at  two  million  souls,  with  an  allow- 
ance of  about  a  square  yard  for  each  indivi- 
dual." ( The  Desert  of  the  Exodus,  Palmer,  oh.  vi.). 
"  The  plain  itself  is  upward  of  two  miles  long, 
and  half  a  mile  broad,  and  slopes  gradually 
down  from  the  water-shed  on  the  north  to  the 
foot  of  Ras  Sufsafeh.  About  three  hundred  yards 
from  the  actual  base  of  the  mountain  there  runs 
across   the   plain   a   low,   semicircular   mound. 


which  forms  a  kind  of  natural  theatre,  while  far- 
ther distant  on  either  side  of  the  plain  the  slopes 
of  the  enclosing  mountains  would  aliord  seats  to 
an  almost  unlimited  number  of  spectators."  (Re- 
covery of  Jerusalem,  pp.  411,  412).  There  are 
good  camping  places  in  the  neighboring  glens, 
valleys  and  mountain  sides,  especially  at  the 
mouth  of  Wady  Leja  where  there  is  "an  exten- 
sive recess,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  long  by  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  broad"  ({bid.  p.  412).  It  is  ex- 
ceedingly well  watered  by  four  running  streams, 
and  there  are  innumerable  fountains  and  wells. 
Comp.  Robinson,  Vol.  1,  p.  95  sqq.,  100-107, 
119-122.  St AJiLEY,  Sinai  and  Palestine,  pp.  40- 
44,  73-76. 

The  Tabernacle  of  the  congregation. — 
The  A.  V.  renders  it,  the  Tabernacle  of  congre- 
gation, as  if  the  notion  "to  meet"  underlying 
the  word  n>'10  must  refer  to  the  people,  and  thus 
the  word  itself  mean  the  gathering  of  the  people 
together.  The  proper  signification  is  Tent  of 
Meeting,  as  appears  from  Ex.  xxix.  42, 43,  which 
reads  :  '•  This  shall  be  a  continual  burnt-offering 
throughout  your  generations  at  the  door  of  the 
tent  of  meeting  before  the  Lord;  where  I  will 
meet  you  (^i'^X)  to  speak  there  unto  thee  And 
there  I  will  meet  (Tn^i?:)  with  the  children  of 
Israel."  The  same  is  suggested  by  Ex.  xxx.  36, 
and  Num.  xvii.  19,  (A.  V.,  4).  Hither  then  the 
Lord  summoned  those  whom  He  would  meet,  and 
to  whom  He  would  make  special  communica- 
tions, and  ordered,  x.  3,  that  trumpets  should  be 
sounded  to  gather  the  people  as  well  (Hj^lj)  to 
the  Tent  of  Meeting.  Hence  God  not  only  comes 
down  to  meet  His  people,  but  they  come  up  to 
meet  Him.  See  Smith's  Bib.  Bid.,  article  Ta- 
bernacle. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  second  month, 
i.  €.,  the  month  Ziph,  which  in  the  Talmud  ia 
called  T'S*,  lyar.  It  corresponds  with  our  April. 
Ziph^the  month  of  "  blossoms  ;"  but  see  Smith's 
Bib.  Diet. 

The  following  data  given  in  the  Book  of  Num- 
bers, are  here  arranged  in  their  chronological 
order,  according  to  Keil  and  others.  But  see 
Lange  on  vii.  1. 

(1)  The  gifts  of  the  oxen  and  wagons  by  the 
princes;  their  gifts  for  the  aliar  on  the  dav  of, 
its  anointing,  continuing  for  twelve  days,  chap, 
vii.,  and  the  cloud  covering  the  Tabernacle  (iX. 
15)  on  the  day  of  its  erection;  this  date  is  given 
in  Ex.  xl.  17:  comp.  Lev. 

viii.  10,  11  :  2  yr.,      1  m.,     1  day. 

(2)  The  celebration  of 

the  passover,  ix.  1-5:  2  1         14 

(3)  The   order  for   the 

muster,  i.  1  :  2  2  1 

(4)  Celebration  of  the 

Little  Passover,  ix.  6-14:    2  2         14 

(5)  Departure  from  Si- 
nai, X.  11 :  2  2        20 

The  following  points  are  noteworthy  :  I.i  the 
period  between  the  erection  of  the  tabernacle 
and  the  order  for  the  muster  the  following  mat- 
ters took  place  ;  The  proclamation  of  the  laws 
of  sacrifice,  for  they  were  first  enunciated  in  the 
tent  of  meeting,  Lev.  i.  1  ;  the  consecration  of 
Aaron's  sons  in  the  day  of  the  anointing  of  the 


CHAP.  I.  1-54. 


21 


Tabernacle ,  which  took  seven  days;  the  first 
rites  by  the  priesthood  on  the  eighth  day;  the 
trespass  by  Nadab  and  Abihu;  the  remaining 
body  of  Levitical  law  ;  the  princely  gifts  for 
moving  the  Tabernacle  and  for  the  dedication  of 
the  altar ;  the  descent  of  the  cloud  upon  the  ta- 
bernacle;  the  order  for  the  observance  of  the 
passover  ;  its  commemoraiion.  This  was  in  the 
time  from  one  new  moon  (^U'Tn)  to  the  other. 

In  the  period  between  the  order  for  the  muster 
and  the  departure  from  Sinai,  the  following 
events  took  place  :  The  muster  itself;  the  dispo- 
sition of  the  camp,  the  body  of  law  for  its  reguhx- 
tion  ;  the  celebration  of  the  Little  Passover ;  the 
census  of  the  first-born  and  consecration  of  the 
Levites;  all  of  which  occurred  in  twenty  days. 
A  brisk  and   crowded  season. 

We  observe  further  in  this  chronology  that 
events  which  occurred  at  an  earlier  date  are 
placed  after  the  muster;  the  gifts  by  the  princes 
and  the  passover  really  having  preceded  the 
muster.  Why?  KeiL  finds  a  reason  in  the  de- 
sire not  to  interrupt  the  essential  connection  of 
Sinaiiic  law;  and  this  opinion  is  of  weight.  In 
the  legal  books  of  the  Trilogy,  chronology  is 
made  secondary.  As  the  idea  of  Leviticus  was 
to  give  the  body  of  Sacerdotal  legislation,  and 
such  incidents  as  related  to  it,  so  the  object  of  the 
Book  of  Numbers  is  to  give  the  national  organi- 
zation, in  all  its  theocratic  features,  and  thus 
what  is  uppermost  for  the  proper  constitution 
of  the  immovable  state,  of  course  comes  first. 

Ver,  2.  The  sum  of  all  the  congregation 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  On  the  three  ac- 
counts of  taking  the  census  see  above  Introduc- 
tion, §  7,  a,  c,  and  Smfth's  Bib.  Bid.  art.  Cen- 
sus. On  the  congregation  see  ibid,  under  the 
word.  The  data  are  wanting  for  a  clear  analy- 
sis of  the  subdivisions  of  the  congregation 
represented    by   the    following    terms,  families 

(nniJiyO),  fathers'-houses  (nnx  n':3).  The 
latter  is  a  subdivision  of  the  former,  while  in 
ver.  4  it  appears  as  a  subdivision  of  the  tribe 
(nU3).  The  former  is  thus  the  grand  subdivi- 
sion of  the  tribe.     This  agrees  with  x.  4  (comp. 

Josh.  xxii.  14)  where  "  the  thousands  '"  (D'SS^^) 
appear  as  equivalent  to  "the  families"  (HnSti'O), 
the  latter  designating  them  according  to  their 
fecial  constitution,  the  former  with  respect  to 
their  proportion  of  men  fit  for  war  and  liable  to 
tax.     See  Introd.,  g  6. 

Ver.   3.   '^LSp    means    "to    muster,   marshal," 

and  has  reference  more  to  disposition  or  arrange- 
ment than  numbering.  See  a  discussion  of  the 
word  in  Bush  in  loc. — Tr.]. 

Vers.  5-19.  Roll  of  the  captains  who  were 
called  to  aid  in  numbering  the  tribes.  We  fur- 
nish their  names  and  the  names  of  their  fathers 
also,  with  their  conjectural  significations,  since 
the  names  of  the  Israelites  attest  the  religious 
mind  of  the  people.  See  above  Introd.,  §  6. 
Upon  the  three  qualifications  of  the  chief  men, 

(1) '^7^'7  '*<"!p.  (2)  nnbx  niao  "'X'tyj,  (3) 

D''ii/X"i  see  above,  Introd.  |  6.  "D'S^X  synony- 
mous with  ninDL/rp  •  families  '  (comp.  chap.  x. 
4  ;  Josh.  xxii.  14,  et  al.),  because  the  number  of 
heads  of  families  in  the  branches  of  a  tribe 
amounted  to  at  least  a  thousand"  (Keil).     Even 


if  the  thousands  were  in  a  greater  or  less  degree 
independent  of  the  number  1,000,  yet  it  does  not 
then  follow  that  they  should  always  coincide  with 
the  tribe-branches. 

They  were  not  passively  pressed  into  service 
but  took  it  upon  them  voluntarily,  like  the  volun- 
teers of  Deborah  (Judg.  xxi.)  and  of  the  Messi- 
anic King  (Ps.  ex.);  and  that  was,  so  to  speak, 
their  new  birth  in  the  higher  sense.  [These 
princes  were  likely  a  selection  from  those  of 
highest  rank  among  the  appointments  made  ac^ 
cording  to  Exod.  xviii.  21-26,  which  occurred 
onlj'  a  few  montlis  before  this. — Tr.] 

Vers.  20-47.  Number  of  the  fighting  men  in  the 
tribes  see  above,  Introd.  \  6.  They  were  mustered 
in  representation  of  the  supreme  Commander  him- 
self ;  hence  □"'"'p^. 

Vers.  48—54.  The  prohibition  against  muster- 
ing the  Levites  and  adding  their  number  to  the 
sum  of  the  other  tribes  indicates  no  exemptiou 
from  the  military  service,  but  an  inherited  call- 
ing to  the  discharge  of  the  highest  service  of  de- 
fence, the  care  of  the  headquarters  (ver.  58)  and 
of  the  ensign  of  the  army,  the  Tabernacle.  The-e- 
fore,  notwithstanding  their  being  so  numerous, 
they  were  to  encamp  around  the  sanctuary  and 
prevent  all  v/ho  were  not  Levites  from  approach- 
ing on  pain  of  death.  All  the  other  divisions 
of  the  army  were  to  encamp  by  their  special 
standards. 

[The  reason  for  the  peculiar  service  of  the 
Levites  that  the  text  gives  is  that  in  vers.  51,  53, 
It  ought  tlius  to  have  precedence.  The  Levites 
were  to  guard  tlie  Tabernacle  against  the  intru- 
sion of  the  other  Israelites.  Ly  the  stranger 
(It),  for  whom  it  would  be  death  to  come  nigh,  ia 
meant  a  non-Levite  (Lev,  xxii.  10).  The  Levites 
were  to  guard  against  trespasses  within  that 
would  be  more  ruinous  than  foes  without. — Tr,] 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL, 

On  the  ivhole  book. 

The  name  Numbers  gives  no  presentiment  of 
the  rich  significance  of  this  third  book  [of  the 
Trilogy],  unless  one  were  to  ascribe  to  the  idea 
of  number  a  Pythagorean  notion,  or,  better  still, 
one  that  belongs  to  Biblical  philosophy  of  re- 
ligion. 

For,  of  course,  the  champions  of  Jehovah  are 
numbered,  as  were  the  intimates  or  heroes  of 
Odin,  and  as  the  latter  were  selected  out  to 
march  forth  with  Odin  to  conflict  at  the  end  of 
time,  so  the  former  are  chosen  out,  numbered  and 
mustered  so  as  to  form  an  army  of  God,  wliicli  is 
destined  in  a  sacred  campaign  to  make  the  con- 
quest of  the  holy  inheritance  of  God,  Canaan,  i  he 
promised  land,  for  God's  people. 

As  significant  individual  types  are  to  be  noted 
especially  the  persons  fit  for  war;  for  here,  too, 
the  proper  estimate  of  personal  life  is  the  signa- 
ture of  true  religion  and  of  the  kingdom  of  truth 
founded  on  it.  But  with  the  persons  must  be 
noted  the  most  exact  regard  for  their  number, 
the  typical  numbering,  as  it  is  continued  down 
to  the  Apocalypse  (Bev.  vii.),  not  excepting  the 
Gospels  and  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Moreover,  the 
characteristic  diversities  of  nations,  or  even  of 
churches  and  states  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  find 
their  type  in  the  organization  of  the  army  of 


22 


NUMBERS. 


God,  the  order  of  Israel's  encampment  under  its 
princes,  the  Sanctuary  in  the  midst  of  the  army 
as  the  mysterious  headquarters  of  the  heavenly 
sentinel,  the  Commander  in  Chief,  and  the  disti-i- 
bution  of  labor  among  His  servants.  Further- 
more an  important  element  appears  in  keeping 
the  camp  of  the  army  pure,  in  which  connection 
is  to  be  considered  the  restitution  for  trespass 
which  is  too  much  overlooked  [v.  1-10]  ;  also 
in  contrast  with  ihis  keeping  pure,  the  higher 
consecration  of  the  Lord's  volunteer  heroes,  the 
Nazarites  [vi.  1-21]. 

A  particularly  significant  jewel  is  the  Aaronic 
blessing  [vi.  22-27].  The  invisible  substance  of 
Israel  must,  however,  be  visibly  represented  to 
the  nation  by  a  rich  temple-treasure,  assured  by 
the  cheerful  offerings  of  its  princes,  demonstrated 
by  a  grand  festive  procession  of  the  donors  with 
their  gifts  [vii.  1-89].  But  in  the  midst  of  the 
Sanctuary  the  golden  candlestick  must  illumine 
the  night;  the  Levites,  as  watchmen  and  ser- 
vants, must  surround  the  centre  of  the  camp 
[viii.].  That  no  defect  or  scruple  may  arise  in 
regard  to  the  holy  communion  and  the  right  of 
all  to  it,  the  Little  Passover  is  instituted  [ix.  1- 
14]  as  the  same  is  also  perpetuated  in  its  coun- 
terparts in  the  divine  service  of  the  church. 
The  pillar  of  cloud,  and  fire  over  the  Tabernacle 
is  the  sign  of  the  promise  that  the  Lord  will  ne- 
ver depart  from  His  people  [ix.  15-23].  The 
army  is  completed  by  the  instruments  of  sacred 
signals,  the  silver  trumpets  [x.  1-10]  ;  their 
echoes  are  the  sounds  of  bells,  the  peals  of  or- 
gans, Christian  hymns,  but  also  every  righteous 
summons  to  the  defence  of  our  country. 

[On  ver.  53.  The  meaning  of  Levite  is  ''joined 
to,  a  Ihesion."  See  xviii.4.  The  location  of  ihe 
Levites  in  the  camp  was  symbolical  of  this  ac- 
cepted relation  by  their  being  attached  to  Moses 
and  Aaron  and  the  sanctuary.  In  Isa.  Ivi.  3,  6, 
7  a  participation  in  the  priesthood  of  God's  peo- 
ple is  promised  to  Gentiles,  kindred  to  the  rela- 
tion of  the  Levites  to  the  priests.  See  Naegels- 
BACH  in  loc.  and  Bush  on  our  ver. — Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 
See  General  Homiletic  Remarks  in  the  vol. 
on  Exodus,  p.  167. 

On  chap.  i.  The  army  of  the  Lord  in  particu- 
lar. Its  significance.  Its  destination.  The  mus- 
tering of  the  army. 

On  the  whole  booh. 

''  The  aim  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  general  is  to 
show  how  God  brought  ever  nearer  to  fulfilment 
His  promises  of  inheriting  the  land  of  Canaan, 
spite  of  all  the  difficulties  that  stood  in  the  way 
of  it,  and  brought  His  people  from  Mt.  Sinai  to 
the  borders  of  Canaan  ;  also  how  they  had  God 
for  their  guide  on  the  whole  journey,  which 
serves  to  prove  that  the  religion  of  this  people  is 
the  true  religion."   Starke. 

"  The  use  to  be  derived  from  it  is  this :  Who- 
ever carefully  and  exactly  considers  all  the  his- 
torical circumstances  will  be  led  on  every  ac- 
count to  maintain  a  Christian  walk  in  this  jour- 
ney through  the  world.  The  countless  benefits 
that  God  showed  His  people  in  the  wilderness 
assure  us  of  the  divine  goodness,  and  comfort  us 
in  times  of  distress,  and  when  we  suffer  want  and 


often  know  not  where  to  turn.  The  many  rebel- 
lious conspiracies,  murmurings,  insurrections, 
etc.,  convince  us  of  human  depravity,  and  of 
man's  ingratitude  toward  his  greatest  Benefac- 
tor, and  of  the  corruption  of  our  hearts,  which 
are  presumptuous  in  fortune,  and  despondent  in 
misfortune,  and  admonish  us  to  take  note  of  in- 
dwelling sin,  that  we  may  not  become  like  Israel 
in  sinning.  God's  punishment  of  His  perverse 
people  represents  to  us  His  anger  and  justice, 
from  which  we  ought  to  learn  to  be  suitably 
afraid.  The  steadfastness,  prudence,  patience 
and  meekness  of  Moses  are  a  mirror  into  which 
we  should  diligently  gaze,  and  pattern  after  his 
example  in  every  thing  that  befalls  us.  In  gene- 
ral we  must  not  contemplate  our  life  as  different 
from  the  journey  of  the  Israelites  out  of  Egypt 
through  the  desert  to  the  land  of  Canaan  (1  Chr. 
XXX.  15).  The  round-about  ways  that  God  leads 
us  are  wonderful ;  we  must  go  through  thick  and 
thin,  over  mountains  and  through  valleys,  now  a 
straight  path,  then  a  crooked  (Ps.  iv.  4).  Our 
progress  is  marked  by  mournful  monuments  that 
we  leave  behind  in  our  conscience,  which  re- 
proaches us  with  a  Meriba,  where  we  strove  with 
God  and  were  not  content  with  His  guidance ; 
the  graves  of  lust,  where  we  gave  way  to  evil  de- 
sires, etc.  Still  God  provides  us  with  manna, 
quails  and  water  (Ps.xxxiii.;  Isa.  xxx.  20).  He 
gives  us  victory  when  enemies  assail  us,  He  bears 
us  on  the  way  we  go  (Deut,  i.  31).  Jesus  is  the 
pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  that  abides  with  us,  even 
when  it  is  evening  (Luke  xxiv.  29),  unto  the  end 
of  the  world  (Matth.  xxviii.  20).  The  sacrament 
of  holy  Baptism  is  the  cloud  (1  Cor.  x.  2).  The 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is  the  manna,  the 
food  and  drink  of  life.  Whoever,  then,  would  be 
a  true  Israelite,  let  him  learn  from  this  book  to 
depart  out  of  the  Egypt  of  this  world  and  of  his 
sinful  flesh,  to  disregard  the  Red  Sea  of  dismay 
that  Satan  makes,  furthermore  to  press  through 
the  wilderness  of  this  world,  where  there  is  dan- 
ger enough,  and  all  looks  dreadful,  where  Ama- 
lekites  and  Ammonites,  where  serpents  and  wild 
beasts  make  the  passage  hard,  until  at  last  he 
comes  to  the  stern-flowing  Jordan,  and  draws 
near  the  heavenly  Canaan.  Thus  we  may  every 
way  edify  our  life  from  this  book,  and  sooth  our  sor- 
rows and  cares.  And  this,  too,  is  God's  aim 
and  object  in  the  histories  that  are  found  here." 
Starke. 

[6-'o(f's  particular  providence  over  His  people  il- 
lustrated h>j  the  numbering.  (1)  It  proved  His 
faithfulness  to  His  promise  to  Abraham  and  to 
Jacob  (Gen.  xxviii.  14).  It  was  not  left  to  be 
guessed  at.  (2)  It  was  an  intimation  of  how 
God  meant  to  care  for  His  people  in  the  future, 
and  meant  that  Moses  and  the  inferior  rulers 
should  care  for  them.  As  the  "Shepherd  of  Is- 
rael" (Ps.  Ixxx.  1),  he  would,  like  other  shep- 
herds, keep  count  of  his  flocks  and  deliver  them 
by  number  to  their  under-shepherds,  that  they 
might  know  if  any  were  missing.  (3)  It  was  in 
order  to  their  being  marshalled  into  several  dis- 
tricts for  the  more  easy  administration  of  jus- 
tice, and  their  more  regular  march  through  the  de- 
sert. It  is  a  rout  and  a  rabble,  not  an  army,  that  is 
not  mustered  and  put  in  order.    After  M.  Henry. 

Leviticus  precedes  Numbers.  The  laws  of  offer- 
ing to  God  precede  the  military  organization  and 


CHAP.  II.  1-34. 


23 


the  march  against  enemies  and  to  the  conquest 
of  Canaan.  This  is  the  ideal  realization  of  the 
motto:  "Be  sure  you're  right,  then  go  ahead." 
To  be  right,  in  the  highest  sense,  is  to  be  right 
with  God.  "  If  God  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against 
us?"  Rom.  viii.  31.  Let  every  one  find  time  iirst 
for  religion  and  reconciliation  to  God  through 
the  offering  of  Jesus  Christ,  before  even  preparing 
for  the  march  and  warfare  of  life.  Let  him  do 
the  same  for  every  day. 

On  i.  47-54.  The  Levites  exempted  from  military 
service.  So  with  ministers.  "  If  exempted  from 
aecular  concerns,  it  is  in  order  that  they  may  be 


the  more  given  up  to  the  study  and  preaching  of 
the  word  of  God,  and  to  prayer,  which  are  the 
chief  weapons  of  their  warfare;  for  by  these 
means  they  may  endeavor  to  avert  the  wrath  of 
God  from  the  people.  As  Christians  are  sepa- 
rated from  the  world,  .so  ministers  should  be 
still  more  detached  from  its  pursuits  and  employ- 
ments, and  examples  to  the  flock  ;  'not,'  says  M. 
Henry,  'affecting  to  seem  greater,  but  aiming  to 
be  really  better,  every  way  better,  than  others.'  " 
Scott.  The  position  and  service  of  the  Levites 
was  according  to  the  maxim:  "  Whosoever  will 
be  chief  among  you,  let  him  be  your  servant," 
Matth,  XX.  27.— Tr.] 


4 
5 


10 


The  Order  for  the  Camp  and  for  the  March. 
Chapter  II.  1-34. 

1,  2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  saying,  'Every  man  of  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  pitch  by  his  own  standard,  with  the  ensign  of  their  ''father's 
house :  ^far  off  about  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation  shall  they  pitch. 

3  *And  on  the  east  side  toward  the  rising  of  the  sun  shall  they  of  the  standard  of  the 
camp  of  Judah  pitch  'throughout  their  armies :  and  Nahshon  the  son  of  Ammina- 
dab  shall  be  'captain  of  the  children  of  Judah,  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were 
"numbered  of  them,  wer'e  threescore  and  fourteen  thousand  and  six  hundred.  And 
those  that  do  pitch  next  unto  him  shall  be  the  tribe  of  Issachar :  and  Nethaneel  the 

6  son  of  Zuar  shall  be  'captain  of  the  children  of  Issachar.  And  his  host,  and 
those  that  were  "numbered  thereof,  were  fifty  and  four  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

7  Then  the  tribe  of  Zebulun  :  and  Eliab  the  son  of  Helou  shall  be  'captain  of  the 

8  children  of  Zebulun.     And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  "numbered  thereof,  were 

9  fifty  and  seven  thousand  and  four  hundred.  All  that  were  "numbered  «in  the 
camp  of  Judah  were  a  hundred  thousand  and  fourscore  thousand  and  six  thousand 
and  four  hundred,  'throughout  their  armies :  these  shall  first  set  forth. 

On  the  south  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Reuben  'according  to  their 
arm>iis :  and  the  'captain  of  the  children  of  Reuben  shall  be  Elizur  the  son  of  She- 
ll deur.     And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  "numbered  thereof,  were  forty  and  six 

12  thousand  and  five  hundred.  And  those  "which  pitch  by  him  shall  be  the  tribe  of 
Simeon :  and  the  'captain  of  the  children  of  Simeon  shall  be  Shelumiel  the  son  of 

13  Zurishaddai.     And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  "numbered  of  them,  were  fifty 
14* and  nine ; thousand  and  three  hundred.     "Then  the  tribe  of  Gad:  and  the  'captain 

15  of  the  sons  of  Gad  shall  be  Eliasaph  the  son  of  ^Reuel.  And  his  host,  and  those 
that  were  "numbered  of  them,  were  forty  and  five  thousand  and  six  hundred  and 

16  fifty.  All  that  were  "numbered  in  the  camp  of  Reuben  were  a  hundred  thousand 
and  fifty  and  one  thousand  and  four  hundred  and  fifty,  'throughout  their  armies : 
and  they  shall  set  forth  'in  the  second  rank, 

"Then  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation  shall  set  forward  ^with  the  camp  of  the 
Levites  in  the  midst  of  the  "^camp  :  as  they  encamp,  so  shall  they  set  forward,  every 
man  in  his  place  by  their  standards. 

On  the  west  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Ephraim  'according  to  their 
armies :  and  the  'captain  of  the  sons  of  Ephraim  shall  be  Elishama  the  son  of  Ammi- 

19  hud.     And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  "numbered  of  them,  were  forty  thousand 

20  and  five  hundred.     And  'by  him  shall  be  the  tribe  of  Manasseh :  and  the  'captain 

21  of  the  children  of  Manasseh  shall  be  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur.  And  his  host, 
and  those  that  were  "numbered  of  them,  were  thirty  and  two  thousand  and  two  hun- 


17 


18 


24 


NUMBERS. 


22  dred.     "Then  the  tribe  of  Benjamin :  and  the  'captain  of  the  sons  of  Benjamin 

23  shall  be  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni.     And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  ■''numbered 

24  of  them,  were  thirty  and  five  thousand  and  four  hundred.  All  that  were  '^num- 
bered  of  the  camp  of  Ephraim  were  a  hundred  thousand  and  eight  thousand  and 
a  hundred,  ^throughout  their  armies:  and  they  shall  °go  forward  in  the  third 
rank. 

25  The  standard  of  the  camp  of  Dan  shall  be  on  the  north  side  'by  their  armies  :  and 

26  the  'captain  of  the  children  of  Dan  shall  be  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai.  And 
his  host,  and  those  that  were  "numbered  of  them,  were  threescore  and  two  thousand 

27  and  seven  hundred.     And  those  ^that  encamp  by  him  shall  be  the  tribe  of  Asher : 

28  and  the  'captain  of  the  children  of  Asher  shall  be  Pagiel  the  Sou  of  Ocran.  And 
his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were  forty  and  one  thousand  and 
five  hundred. 

29  ""Then  the  tribe  of  Naphtali :  and  the  'captain  of  the  children  of  Naphtali  shall  be 

30  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan.     And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were 

31  fifty  and  three  thousand  and  four  hundred.  All  they  that  were  "numbered  in  the 
camp  of  Dan  ivere  a  hundred  thousand  and  fifty  and  seven  thousand  and  six  hun- 
dred :  they  shall  go  hindmost  "with  their  standards. 

32  These  are  those  which  were  ''numbered  of  the  children  of  Israel  by  "the  house  of 
their  fathers :  all  those  that  were  ''numbered  of  the  camps  'throughout  their  hosts 

33  ^vere  six  hundred  thousand  and  three  thousand  ahd  five  hundred  and  fifty.  But 
the  Levites  were  not  ''numbered  among  the  children  of  Israel ;  as  the  Lord  com- 

34  manded  ]Moses.  And  the  children  of  Israel  did  according  to  all  that  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses :  so  they  pitched  by  their  standards,  and  so  they  set  forward, 
every  one  after  their  families,  according  to  "the  house  of  their  fathers. 


1  Heb.  over  against. 


2  Deuel. 


»  TTie  children  of  Israel  shall  pitch  every  man  hy  his,  etc. 
*  And  those  that  camp  eastward,  toward  the  rising,  etc. 
g  of.  ^  that  do  pitch  next  unto. 

k  camps.  '  riext  to. 

»  by.  »  mustered. 


•>  their  fathers'-houses. 
•  according  to  their  hosts. 
"  second. 
»  And. 


0  Tent  of  meeting. 
f  prince. 

i  comma,  omit  with. 
n  set  forth  third. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  2.  a^ao  1J3D.    The  A.  V.  gives  IJJO  the  false  rendering,  "far  oflF,"  suggested,  perhaps,  by  Josh.  iii.  4, 

but  corrects  it  in  the  marg.  reading.  It  has  its  common  meaning  here  of  confronting,  thus  used  ia  a  hostile  sense. 
Josh.  V.  33.  The  double  term  means  "fronting  and  surrounding."  Thus  all  faced  the  common  centre.  The  no- 
tion of  distance  is  unexpressed,  yet  necessarily  suggested  by  the  magnitude  of  the  bodies  to  be  located.  Comp. 
Ps.  xxxviii.  12  (11),  where  the  notion  of  distance  is  suggested  by  the  "  stroke  "  of  adversity,  though  not  expressed 

by  njJD,  and  then,  in  the  following  clause,  is  expressed  by  plT^O- 

Ver.  3.  nnilD  Hmp-    Comp.  xxxiv.  15;  Josh.  xix.  12;  Exod.  xxxvii.  13.    The  apparent  redundancy  seems 

to  be  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  direction  and  excluding  the  notion  of  distance :  comp.  Ezek.  xlv.  17.    DlpO 

•nd  nonp  are  used  for  the  remote  east. 
T  -A- 
Ver.  5.  "(Dti't-''-    This  singular  orthography  is  in  order  to  conform  to  the  current  pronunciation  of  the  name, 

which  dropped  ihe  second  s.    All  authorities  invariably  give  the  consonants  as  here.    See  Fuebst  and  Smith's 

Bib.  Diet.  sub.  voc. 

Ver.  18.  n^'—"  westward,"  or  more  exactly  "seaward."    This  is  one  of  the  expressions  that  opponents  to  the 

genuineness  of  the  Pentateuch  have  seized  on,  alleging  that  it  betrays  a  writer  actually  in  Palestine.  But  in  fact 
ft  only  shows  that  tlie  writer  used  a  language  whose  idiom  was  mdigenous  to  the  region  east  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean sea.  And  this  and  similar  traits  are  corroborative  proof  that  the  people  had  their  ancestry  and  language 
from  the  East.    See  Macbonai,d,  Introd.  to  Pentateuch,  I.  2G8.— Tr.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

Ver.  1  sqq.  {a)  Tlie  order  of  encampment. — 
The  twelve  Tribes  are  divided  into  four  corps, 
which  encamp  about  the  centre  of  the  Levitical 
sanctuary,  and  that  in  the  order  of  East,  South, 
West,  and  North.  The  four  leading  tribes  are 
Judah,  Pvfiuben,  Ephraim,  and  D.ui.  To  Judah, 
the  first  leader-tribe,  witli  its  camp  in  the  East, 
are  joined  Issachar  and  Zebuluu,  who  also  were 


sons  of  Leah  ;  a  very  strong  chief  force  at  the 
van  of  the  army.  To  the  south  was  the  camp  of 
Reuben  in  conjunction  with  the  tribes  of  Simeon 
and  Gad.  It  should  be  noted  in  this  connection, 
that  the  tribe  of  Simeon  at  this  time  numbered 
many  more  warriors  than  Reuben.  On  the  west 
Ephraim  was  encamped,  at  the  head  of  Manas- 
seh  and  Benjamin.  Here  then  all  the  children 
of  Rachel  are  united.  To  the  north  Asher  and 
Naphtali  are  encamped  under  the  leadership  of 
the  tribe  of  Dan.     Here  with  Dan  the  adopted 


CHAP.  II.  1-34. 


26 


eon  of  Rachel,  are  associated  his  brother  Naph- 
tali  and  Lis  half-brother  Asher. 

(b)  The  order  of  march. — This  was  deter- 
mined by  the  order  of  encampment.  In  front  of 
the  camp  of  the  Levites  and  of  the  tabernacle 
marched  six  tribes,  first  the  corps  of  Judah,  next 
the  corps  of  Reuben.  The  march  was  covered 
by  the  six  tribes  in  the  divisions  of  Ephraim  and 
Dan.     [See  below.— Tr.] 

"/Jl,  'standard,  banner,  flag,'  denotes  the 
larger  military  ensign  which  each  of  the  corps 
composed  of  three  tribes  had,  and  which  at  the 
same  time  was  the  banner  of  that  tribe  that 
headed  the  division;  then,  in  a  more  extended 
signification,  the  army  as  united  under  one  ban- 
ner, similar  to  cTjjieia,  vezillum^  and  the  old  Ger- 
man Fsehnlein,  etc.  According  to  rabbinical  tra- 
dition, the  banner  of  Judah  bore  the  image  of  a 
lion  ;  that  of  Reuben  the  picture  of  a  man  or 
of  a  human  head  ;  that  of  Ephraim  the  image  of 
an  ox:  that  of  Dan  the  emblem  of  an  eagle;  so 
that  on  these  four  standards  the  four  creatures 
which  are  united  in  the  cherubic  figures  given 
by  Ezekiel,  are  said  to  have  been  represented  " 
(Keil,  p.  200).  A  more  minute  rabbinical  ac- 
count of  the  colors  of  the  flags,  according  to 
Jekome  Prado,  is  given  in  a  note  by  Keil,  p. 
200  [Eng.  Tr.,  Vol.  I.  17].  Judah  is  therefore 
the  champion  of  his  brethren  according  to  Gen. 
xlix.  10.  Yet  we  must  understand  the  position 
of  Ephraim  in  covering  the  marcli,  not  as  sub- 
ordinate, but  as  a  sort  of  parallel  one.  The 
name  Reuel,  ver.  14,  is  the  error  of  a  copyist  for 
Deuel  As  they  encamp  so  shall  they  set 
forward,  ver.  17  ;  therelore,  with  Levi  in  the 
midst  of  the  tribes,  every  man  on  his  own  side 
by  their  standards,  i.e.,  upon  the  side  where  he 
was  encamped  ;  not  as  it  is  generally  translated: 

each  at  his  place,  since  T,  'hand,'    does   in- 
deed signify  latus,  'side,'  but  not  place"  (Keil). 

It  would  certainly  have  been  a  very  difiicult 
and  frequently  impracticable  order  of  march,  if 
the  three  divis^is,  Reuben  on  the  one  side,  Dan 
on  the  other,  and  Levi  with  the  Tabernacle  in  the 
middle,  had  been  compelled  to  march  abreast. 
Moreover  it  says  very  emphatically  that  Judah 
and  Reuben  precede  the  Tabernacle  (ver.  17) — 
consequently  the  like  would  obtain  as  to  the 
marching  order  of  the  succeeding  corps,  Ephraim 
and  Dan.  As  to  the  more  common  meaning  of 
T  see  Genesis. 

T 

Besides  the  military  camp  we  must  distinguish 
two  particular  camps — the  camp  of  the  pure  con- 
gregation, composed  of  women  and  children,  and 
the  encampment  of  the  levitically  unclean  on  the 
outside  of  the  camp.  The  children  of  the  Levites 
appear  to  have  been  in  the  camp  from  their  youth 
up  ;  probably  also  in  time  of  peace  the  families 
dwelt  witli  their  defeaders.  A  distinction  be- 
tween the  warriors  and  the  people  is  indicated  in 
XX.  1. 

[It  appears  from  x.  17,that  on  the  march  the 
position  of  the  Tabernacle  and  the  attendant  Ger- 
shonites  and  Merarites  was  immediately  after  thp 
division  of  three  tribes  headed  by  Judah.  Then 
followed  Reuben's  division.  After  that,  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  line,  the  Kohathites  with  the 
eacred   things.     Then  came   the   division  under 


Ephraim,  followed  by  that  of  Dan,  which  brought 
up  the  rear.  The  only  reason  assigned  for  the 
position  of  Tent  of  Meeting  next  after  Judah's 
division,  is  that  it  might  be  set  up  by  the  tiaie  the 
sacred  things  that  were  to  be  put  into  it  (x.  21) 
should  arrive  at  camp. 


3? 


eft  lO 


C 


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East. 

ce  o 

t^  o 

^^ 

r-,      - 

rr^ 

ci  o 

12; 

org  m 

n-j   —   " 

og.2 

< 

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m 

CO 

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o 

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Is  % 

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0 

03 

8 

z 

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<5! 

t. 

a 
S 

CQ 

LaJ 
CO 

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1- 

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n 

<o 

^ 

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o<2 

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EQt» 

^ 

o 

O 

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5^ 

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•?saM. 

m 


<p    . 
mo 


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wo 

"O 


The  foregoing  plan  represents  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  encampment  as  gathered  from  chaps, 
ii.,  iii.  Such  is  the  ideal  disposition.  The  ac- 
tual disposition  of  the  multitudes,  even  when  or- 
der was  maintained,  must  often  have  presented 
only  an  imperfect  approach  to  it,  owing  to  topo- 
graphical irregularities. — Tr.] 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 
[See  under  chap.  i. 

"The  ideal  form  of  the  encampment  was  re- 
produced in  the  square  court  with  which  the 
Temple  was  eventually  surrounded,  and  in  the 
vision  of  the  heavenly  city  as  seen  by  Ezek.  xlviii. 
20;  and  by  St.  John,  Rev.  xxi.  16:  conip.  Rev. 
XX.  9.  Thus  the  camp  of  God's  earthly  people 
was  divinely  ordered,  so  as  to  set  forth  the  com- 
pleteness of  His  Church;  and  to  illustrate  by  its 
whole   arrangement,   which  was  determined  by 


26 


NUMBERS. 


the  Tabernacle  in  the  centre,  both  the  depend- 
ence of  all  on  God,  and  tJie  access  which  all  en- 
joyed to  God."   The  Bible  Comrn.  in  loc. 

In  the  plains  of  Moab,  and  in  the  immediate 
prospect  of  conquering  the  promised  land,  the 
ideal  plan  of  the  encampment  might  he  con- 
formed to.  Perhaps  such  was  the  sight  that 
greeted  Balaam's  eyes  and  made  him  exclaim: 
"How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  0  Jacob,"  xxiv.  5. 
"Thus  the  gospel-church,  called  the  camp  of  saints^ 
ought  to  be  compact  according  to  the  Scripture 
model,  every  one  knowing  and  keeping  his  place, 
and  then  all  that  wish  well  to  the  church  re- 
joice, beholding  their  order.  Col.  ii.  5."   M.  Henry. 

The  comments  of  M.  Henry  on  this  chapter 
are  in  his  best  vein  of  happy  suggestion.  The 
following  thoughts  are  reproduced  from  him. 

Those  of  a  tribe  were  to  pitch  together. 
Note,  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  mutual  love  and 
affection,  converse  and  communion  should  be 
kept  up  among  relations.  The  bonds  of  nature 
should  be  improved  for  the  strengthening  of  the 
bonds  of  Christian  communion. 

Every  one  must  know  his  place  and  keep  it. 
Note,  it  is  God  that  appoints  us  the  bounds  of  our 
habitation,  and  to  Him  we  must  refer  ourselves. 
God  is  the  God  of  order  and  not  of  confusion. 
The  standards  made  this  mighty  army  seem  more 
beautiful  to  its  friends,  and  more  formidable  to 
its  enemies.  The  Church  of  Christ  is  said  to  be 
terrible  as  an  army  with  banners.  Cant.  vi.  10. 

The  Tabernacle  and  sacred  things  were  in  the 
middle  of  the  camp  and  of  the  line  of  march. 
God  is  in  the  midst  of  her^  she  shall  not  be  moved, 
Ps.  xlvi.  5.  Their  camp  had  reason  to  be  hearty 
when  thus  they  had  God  in  the  heart  of  them. 
Note,  if  God  undertake  the  protection  of  our 
comforts,  we  ought  in  our  plans  to  undertake  the 
protection  of  His  institutions,  and  stand  up  in 
the  defence  of  His  honor,  and  interest  and  mi- 
nisters. 

Every  tribe  had  a  captain,  a  prince,  or  com- 
mander-in-chief, whom  God  Himself  had  nomi- 
nated, the  same  that  had  been  appointed  to  num- 


ber them  (i.  5).  Our  being  all  the  children  of 
one  Adam  is  so  far  from  justifying  the  levellers 
and  taking  away  the  distinction  of  place  and  ho- 
nor, that  even  among  the  children  of  the  same 
Abraham,  the  same  Jacob,  the  same  Judah,  God 
Himself  appointed  that  one  should  be  captain  of 
all  the  rest.  There  are  poicers  ordained  of  God, 
and  those  to  whom  honor  and  fear  are  due,  and 
must  be  paid. 

Some  observe  the  significancy  of  the  names  of 
these  princes,  at  least  in -general,  and  how  much 
God  was  in  the  thoughts  of  those  that  gave  them 
their  names,  for  most  of  them  have  El,  God,  at 
one  end  or  other  of  their  names.  (See  above, 
Inlrod.^  ^  6).  By  which  it  appears  that  the  Is- 
raelites in  Egypt  did  not  quite  forget  the  name 
of  their  God,  but  when  they  wanted  other  me- 
morials, preserved  the  rememblance  of  it  in  the 
names  of  their  children,  and  therefore  comforted 
themselves  in  their  affliction. 

Nahshon  is  reckoned  among  the  ancestors  of 
Christ  (Matth.  i,  4).  So  that  when  he  went  be- 
fore them,  Christ  Himself  went  before  them  in 
effect,  as  their  Leader. — Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

The  regulation  of  the  host.  The  camp  of  God's 
army.  The  sacredness  of  number.  The  sancti- 
fying and  the  distribution  of  the  number.  Arith- 
metic and  geometry,  and  book-keeping  and  men- 
suration brought  into  the  service  of  the  Holy 
One.  The  tribes  of  the  army  of  God,  and  their 
significance  for  the  organization  of  the  church, 
of  the  state,  especially  with  reference  to  its  means 
of  defence.  The  standards.  The  significance  of 
the  Tabernacle  in  the  midst  of  the  camp.  Jeho- 
vah as  King  and  Commander-in-Chief  in  the  midst 
of  His  warriors.  So  Christ  is  the  Captain  of 
salvation.  The  New  Testament  army  of  God: 
the  Apostolic  spirit  in  twelvefold  gifts  and  forms. 
The  Church  of  God  in  relation  to  war  in  the 
world.  The  war  of  light  (of  self-defence  fox 
right  of  conscience  and  freedom)  and  the  war 
of  darkness. 


SECOND    SECTION. 

Separation  of  the  Levitet  to  the  service  of  the  Tabernacle  as  the  king's  tent  and  the  ensign  {the  banner) 

of  Jehovah. 

Chapters  III.,  IV. 

The  muster  and  encampment  of  the  tribe  of  LevL 

ClIAPTKR    III.    1-61. 

1  These  also  are  the  generations  of  Aaron  and  Moses,  in  the  day  that  the  Lord 

2  spake  with  Moses  in  mount  Sinai.     And  these  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Aaron  ; 

3  Nadab  the  first-born,  and  Abihu,  Eleazar,  and  Ithamar.     These  are  the  names  of 
tlie  sons  of  Aaron,  the  priests  which  were  anointed,  "^vhom  he  consecrated  to  min- 

4  ister  in  the  priest's  office.     And  Nadab  and  Abihu  died  before  the  Lord,  when 


CHAP.  Ill,  1-51.  27 


they  offered  strange  fire  before  the  Lord,  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  and  they  had 
no  "children  :  and  Eleazar  and  Ithamar  ministered  in  the  priest's  office  in  the  sight 
of  Aaron  their  father. 
5,  6  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Bring  the  tribe  of  Levi  near,  and  pre- 

7  sent  them  before  Aaron  the  priest,  that  they  may  minister  unto  him.     And  they 
shall  keep  his  charge,  and  the  charge  of  the  whole  congregation  before  the  "taber- 

8  nacle  of  the  congregation,  to  do  the  service  of  the  tabernacle.     And  they  shall  keep 
all  the  ^instruments  of  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  the  charge  of  the 

9  cliildren  of  Israel,  to  do  the  service  of  the  tabernacle.     And  thou  shalt  give  the 
Levites  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons :  they  are  wholly  given  unto  him  out  of  the 

10  children  of  Israel.  And  thou  shalt  ^appoint  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and  they  shall 
wait  on  their  priest's  office :  and  the  stranger  that  cometh   nigh  shall  be  put  to 

11, 12  death.  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  And  I,  behold,  I  have  taken 
the  Levites  from  among  the  children  of  Israel  instead  of  all  the  firstborn  that 
openeth  the  matrix  among  the  children  of  Israel :  therefore  the  Levites  shall  be 

13  mine ;  Because  all  the  firstborn  are  mine ;  for  on  the  day  that  I  smote  all  the  first- 
born in  the  land  of  Egypt  I  hallowed  unto  me  all  the  firstborn  in  Israel,  both  man 
and  beast :  mine  they  shall  be  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

14, 15  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wildei-ness  of  Sinai,  saying,  ^Number 
the  children  of  Levi  after  *the  house  of  their  fathers,  by  their  families  :  every  male 

16  from  a  month  old  and  upward  shalt  thou  number  them.     And  Moses  ^numbered 

17  them  according  to  the  ^word  of  the  Lord,  as  he  was  commanded.     And  these  were 

18  the  sons  of  Levi  by  their  names ;  Gershon,  and  Kohath,  and  Merari.     And  these 

19  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Gershon  by  their  families  ;  Libni,  and  Shimei.  And 
the  sons  of  Kohath  by  their  families  ;  Amram,  and  Izehar,   Hebron,  and  Uzziel, 

20  And  the  sons  of  Merari  by  their  families  ;  Mahli,  and  Mushi.     These  are  the  fami- 

21  lies  of  the  Levites  ^according  to  the  house  of  their  fathers.  Of  Gershon  was  the 
family  of  the  Libnites,  and  the  family  of  the  Shimites  :  these  are  the  families  of 

22  the  Gershonites.  Those  that  were  ^numbered  of  them,  according  to  the  number  of 
all  the  males,  from  a  month  old  and  upward,  even  those  that  were  ''numbered  of 

23  them  were  seven  thousand  and  five  hundred.     The  families  of  the  Gershonites  shall 

24  pitch  behind  the  tabernacle  westward.     And  the  'chief  of  the  ^house  of  the  father 

25  of  the  Gershonites  shall  be  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Lael.  And  the  charge  of  the  sons 
of  Gershon  in  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation  shall  be  the  tabernacle,  and  the 
tent,  the  covering  thereof,  and  the  ''hanging  for  the  door  of  the  "tabernacle  of  the 

26  congregation.  And  the  hangings  of  the  court,  and  the  ''curtain  for  the  door  of  the 
court,  which l!s  by  the  tabernacle,  and  by  the  altar  round  about,  and  the  cords  of 
it,  for  all  the  service  thereof. 

27  And  of  Kohath  was  the  family  of  the  Amramites,  and  the  family  of  the  Izeha- 
rites,  and  the  family  of  the  Hebronites,  and  the  family  of  the  Uzzielites  :  these 

28  are  the  families  of  the  Kohathites.  In  the  number  of  all  the  males,  from  a  month 
old  and  upward,  were  eight  thousand  and  six  hundred,  keeping  the  charge  of  the 

29  sanctuary.     The  families  of  the  sons  of  Kohath  shall  pitch  on  the  side  of  the  ta- 

30  bernacle  southward.     And  the  'chief  of  the  ^house  of  the  father  of  the  families  of 

31  the  Kohathites  shall  be  Elizaphan  the  son  of  Uzziel.  And  their  charge  shall  be 
the  ark,  and  the  table,  and  the  candlestick,  and  the  altars,  and  the  vessels  of  the 
sanctuary  wherewith  they  minister,  and  the  ''hanging,  and  all  the  service  thereof. 

32  And  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall  be  *chief  over  the  chief  of  the 
Levites,  and  have  the  oversight  of  them  that  keep  the  charge  of  the  sanctuary. 

33  Of  Merari  was  the  family  of  the  Mahlites,  and  the  family  of  the  Mushites  :  these 

34  are  the  families  of  Merari.  And  those  that  were  ""numbered  of  them,  according  to 
the  number  of  all  the  males,  from  a  month  old  and  upward,  were  six  thousand  and 

35  two  hundred.  And  the  'chief  of  the  «house  of  the  father  of  the  families  of  Merari 
was  Zuriel  the  son  of  Abihail :  these  shall  pitch  on  the  side  of  the  tabernacle  north- 

36  ward.  And  ^under  the  custody  and  charge  of  the  sons  of  Merari  sAa/^  6e  the  boards 
of  the  tabernacle,  and  the  bars  thereof,  and  the  pillars  thereof,  and  the  sockets 

37  thereof,  and  all  the  vessels  thereof,  and  all  that  serveth  thereto.  And  the  pillars  of 
the  court  round  about,  and  their  sockets,  and  their  pins,  and  their  cords. 


28 


NUMBERS. 


38  But  those  that  encamp  before  the  tabernacle  toward  the  east,  even  before  the  "=taber- 
nacle  of  the  congregation  eastward,  shall  be  Moses,  and  Aaron  and  his  sons,  keeping 
the  charge  of  the  sanctuary  for  the  charge  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  the  stranger 

39  that  Cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death.  All  that  were  ^numbered  of  the  Levites, 
which  Moses  and  Aaron  numbered  at  the  commandment  of  the  Lord,  ^throughout 
their  iamilies,  all  the  males  from  a  month  old  and  upward,  ivere  twenty  and  two 
thousand. 

40  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  ''Number  all  the  firstborn  "of  the  males  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  from  a  mouth  old  and  upward,  and  take  the  number  of  their  names. 

41  And  thou  shalt  take  the  Levites  for  me  (I  am  the  Lord)  instead  of  all  the  first- 
boi-n  amoug  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  the  cattle  of  the  Levites  instead  of  all  the 

42  firstlings  among  the  cattle  of  the  children  of  Israel.     And  Moses  ''numbered,  as  the 

43  Lord  commanded  him,  all  the  firstborn  among  the  children  of  Israel.  And  all 
the  firstborn  males  by  the  number  of  names,  from  a  month  old  and  upward,  of  those 
that  were  ^numbered  of  them,  were  twenty  and  two  thousand  two  hundred  and 
threescore  and  thirteen. 

44,  45  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Take  the  Levites  instead  of  all  the 
firstborn  among  the  children  of  Israel,  and  the  cattle  of  the  Levites  instead  of  their 

46  cattle  ;  and  the  Levites  shall  be  mine  :  I  am  the  Lord.  And  %r  those  that  are  to 
be  redeemed  of  the  two  hundred  and  threescore  and  thirteen  of  the  firstborn  of  the 

47  children  of  Israel,  which  are  more  than  the  Levites ;  Thou  shalt  even  take  five 
shekels  apiece  by  the  poll,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary  "shalt  thou  take  thevi  : 

48  (the  shekel  is  twenty  geralis :)     And  thou  shalt  give  the  money,  "wherewith  the 

49  odd  number  of  them  is  to  be  redeemed,  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons.  And  Moses 
took  the  "redemption  money  of  them  that  were  over  and  above  them  that  were 

50  ^redeemed  by  the  Levites :  Of  the  firstborn  of  the  children  of  Israel  took  he  the 
money  ;  a  thousand  three  hundred  and  threescore  and  five  shekels,  after  the  shekel 

51  of  the  sanctuary :  And  Jdoses  gave  the  money  of  them  that  were  ^redeemed  unto 
Aaron  and  to  his  sons,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses.  • 


*  Heb.  whose  hand  he  filled. 


2  Heb.  mouth. 


»  whose  hand  they  had  filled  to  be  priests. 

*  utensils. 

B  father'' s-house. 

J  by. 

™  thou  shalt  take,  twenty  gerahs  the  shekel. 

'  ransom. 


'  Heb.  the  office  of  the  charge  of. 
«  Tent  of  Meeting. 


i>  sons. 

'  their  fathers' -houses.  '  prince. 

•>  screen.  '  prince  of  the  princes. 

k  omit  of  the.  '  as  ransom  of  the  two  hundred,  <fee. 

"  the  ransom  of  those  over  and  above  among  them. 

p  ransomed.  ^  muster,  mustered. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  3.  jriDb  DT  K^D.  T  K  vD  "  to  fill  the  hand  "  is  a  natural  and  graphic  idiom  for  consecration,  just 
AH  installation  in  in 'Enghsh.  The  latter  signifies  that  one  is  placed  and  there  he  must  always  be  found.  The 
former  that  one  "  has  his  hands  full,"  and  has  no  leisure  for  other  business.  The  ceremony  of  consecration, 
Exod.  xxix.  9-28,  symbolizes  this  idea,  especially  in  ver.  24.  Naturally  K7O  alone,  and  the  substantive  X^D 
become  the  abbreviated  form  for  the  same  notion.    See  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.  Art.  Priest,  conseeraticn. 

Ver.  9.  DJ1PJ  DJinj,  see  viii.  16.  The  repetition  is  for  the  siike  of  emphasis,  signifying  complete  surrender, 
see  EwALD,  ?  313. 

Ver.  13.  nTI'     "'JX     ^'7  "  to  me,  myself,  Jehovah,"  Mauker,  Keil.     The  Bib.  Comtn.     So  also  in  vers.  41,  45. 

Ver.  30.  The  dots  above  pHXI  "can  have,  it  is  supposed,  no  other  meaning  than  to  intimate  that  the  word  is 

wanting  in  some  Codd.     It  is  wantinc;  in  8  codd.  of  Ken.  and  in  4  of  Ross. ;  also  in  the  Sam.,  Syr.,  and  Copt.     This 
would  agree  with  ver.  .'i,"  Maurek.    Not  sufficient  reason  for  omission,  comp.  iv.  34,  37,  41,  45,  Keil. 

Ver.  61.  The  K'thibh  D'13n  the  correct  reading,  Keil.— Tr.]. 


EXEOETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 

[The  generations,  ver.  1.  "The!?e  are  the 
res  gestx,  that  happened  to  them,"  Fagius,  Va- 
TABLUS,  Ab.  Ezra,  Piscatok.  The  act  of  birth 
is  only  the  first  in  tlie  series.  On  this  use  of  the 
wor'l  comp.  Gen.  v.  1  ;  vi.  'J  ;  xxv.  18  and  Bush, 
in  loc. — Tb.]. 

Oeuee  of  the  Levitical  Seiivice  (Chap.  iii.). 


A.  The  Calling  of  the  Tribe  of  Levi.  This  call- 
ing was  foreshadowed  in  the  religions  zeal  of  the 
brothers  Simeon  and  Levi  (Gen.  xxxiv.),  and  iu 
the  judgment  of  their  father  Jacob  upon  their 
act  (Gen.  xlix.).  The  two  brothers  resembled 
each  other,  as  did  also  their  deed  and  their  des- 
tiny; they  were  scattered  in  Israel.  But  while 
Simeon  gradually  disappears  in  Israel,  Levi 
looms  up  greater  and  greater,  until  at  the  sum- 
mit of  his  elevation  he  destroys  himself,  in  the 


CHAP.    III.  1-51. 


29 


person  of  Caiaphas.  In  this  contrast  the  two  na- 
tures of  youthful,  religious  zeal  come  out  in  re- 
lief. In  the  one,  religious  zeal  passes  over  into 
fanaticism,  into  fleshly  passion,  the  glow  becomes 
smoke  and  vapor;  in  the  other,  the  flame  clears 
itself  from  smoke,  the  seething  must  becomes  pure 
wine.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  Israel 
owes  its  theocraticiil  and  historical  salvation  to 
the  tribe  of  Levi :  even  a  weak  maid,  Miriam, 
had  a  large  share  in  the  rescue  of  Moses;  and 
the  latter,  the  saved  saviour  [Muscha  Mosche)  of 
his  people,  was  in  a  large  measure  supported  by 
his  brother  Aaron.  Soon,  however,  after  the 
moment  when  Aaron  wavered,  the  tribe  of  Levi 
stood  manfully  at  the  side  of  Moses  for  the  re- 
establishment  of  the  fear  of  Jehovah  ;  and  after- 
wards, when  Phineas  executed  summary  judg- 
ment, it  displayed  a  bravery  which  received 
quite  a  mysterious  acknowledgment  in  the  bless- 
ing of  Moses,  Deuf.  xxxiii.  8.  Thus  the  vocation 
of  Levi  was  ontological ;  but  the  historical  de- 
velopment took  place  gradually.  The  prophetic 
starting  place  of  the  Levitic  calling  is  found  in 
the  person  of  Moses  ;  and  the  self-renunciation, 
with  which  he  calls  his  brother  Aaron  to  the 
priesthood,  and  allows  the  priestly  dignity  to 
pass  over  to  the  descendants  of  the  latter,  while 
his  own  sons  attend  Aaron  as  mere  serving  Le- 
vites,  is  the  sign  and  the  seal  of  the  divine  purity 
which  ruled,  in  combination  with  divine  revela- 
tion, at  the  institution  of  the  Levitical  vocation. 
Three  stages  can  be  distinguished  in  the  devel- 
opment of  this  vocation  :  first,  the  historical  rea- 
son for  their  call,  (Esod.  xxxii.) ;  second,  their 
preliminary  appointment  ;  third,  the  establish- 
ment and  definition  of  the  services  of  the  office, 
given  in  the  present  section ;  special  modifica- 
tions follow  hereafter,  especially  the  elevated 
position  of  the  order. 

We  distinguish  regarding  the  hierarchical  or- 
ganization the  following  gradations: — (1)  The 
people  of  the  tribe,  embracing  the  families  as 
well  as  the  men,  the  emeriti  and  demeriti,  as  well 
as  the  serving  members.  The  boys  were  set  apart 
for  the  Levitical  service  after  the  first  month  of 
their  age  ;  for  no  rule  can  be  set  for  the  earliness 
of  spiritual  illumination,  as  the  history  of  Samuel 
proves.  The  entrance  upon  the  general  duties 
begins  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  ;  for  the  proper 
high-priestly  and  priestly  duties,  as  well  as  for 
the  Levitical  ministration  in  the  care  of  the  Sanc- 
tuary, the  age  of  thirty  years  was  required.  The 
typical  hierarchy  descends  in  the  following  gra- 
dations : —  (1)  Aaron  and  his  sons;  (2)  The 
priestly  Levitical  assistants;  (3)  The  Levites  in 
general  as  devoted  to  God  and  the  priestly  ser- 
vice (D'J^np)  ;  (4)  The  servants,  afterwards  at- 
tached to  the  tribe,  of  non-Levitical  and  even  of 
non-Israelitish  blood  (OTHJ).  Although  the 
tribe  of  Levi,  after  the  division  of  the  tribe  of 
Joseph  into  two  separate  tribes,  seems  to  form  a 
thirteenth  tribe  ;  yet  this  would  be  an  entirely 
false  conception,  since  it  represents  the  first-born, 
the  priestly  dignity  of  all  twelve  tribes. 

B.  The  Relations  of  the  Levites.  In  relation  to 
Moses  and  Aaron,  they  are  to  be  regarded  as  the 
spiritual  family  (vers.  2-4) ;  Aaron  appears  as 
the  priestly  head.  With  reference  to  their  min- 
isterial functions,  they  are  presented  to  the  high- 


prieet,  and  are  devoted  to  him  as  his  servants- 
With  reference  to  the  tribes,  however,  they  have 
this  advantage,  that  they  represent  the  first-born 
of  all  the  tribes;  they  are  an  eminent  tribe  wholly 
made  up  of  native  first-born;  and  the  complete 
infatuation  of  the  company  of  Korah  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  they  were  not  content  with  that 
eminence.  However  they  did  not  form  a  caste, 
like  the  Brahmins  in  India  and  the  M.igi  in 
Media,  because  their  physical  condition  was  sub- 
ject to  a  strict  moral  censorship,  and  because 
their  importance  was  greatly  limited  by  the  pro- 
phetic order  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other 
by  the  princely  order.  Hence  they  first  attained 
to  a  hierarchical  power  in  the  time  of  Zerubba- 
bel,  when  the  princely  power  had  become  extinct 
and  the  prophetic  authority  was  on  the  point  of 
dying  out. 

C.  The  mimbering  of  the  Levites.  The  numbers 
of  the  tribe  branches,  7,500,  8,600.  and  6,200, 
added  together  give  the  sum  22,300;  whereas 
the  number  given  is  onlj'  22,000.  We  think  the 
Rabbinical  solution  of  this  apparent  discrepancy 
of  numbers  quite  well  founded,  notwithstanding 
the  doubts  of  Knobel  and  Keil.  If  the  sum  total 
of  the  Levites  was  to  determine  the  ratio  which 
they  bore  to  the  sums  of  the  first-born  in  the 
other  tribes,  because  the  surplus  of  the  first-born 
had  to  be  redeemed  with  money,  then  the  first- 
born among  the  Levites  should  certainly  not  be 
included  in  the  count,  else  there  would  be  nullity 
in  the  calculation.  For  them  300  was  there- 
fore deducted.  This  seems  to  us  a  much  more 
evident  explanation  than  the  supposition  of  a 
blunder  in  the  text,  (see  Keil,  p.  204)  [who  con- 
jectures that  in  ver.  28  \lJr\i}  should  be  read  for 

W]D  or  8,300  for  8.600.— Tb.].  We  do  not  at  all 
assume  that  the  first-born  of  the  tribes  paid  a 
ransom  to  the  Levites  on  account  of  the  worship 
which  they  conducted  for  them,  for  they  were  by 
that  in  a  certain  measure  superseded  (chap,  xvi.) ; 
at  all  events  the  Levites  had  a  favored  position, 
and  in  that  case,  too,  all  the  first-born  would  have 
had  to  pay,  and  not  merely  the  excess  of  273. 
We  have  already  seen  that  the  mention  here  is 
of  a  numbering  of  the  first-born  from  the  first 
month  on  to  twenty  years,  being  a  contrast  with 
the  numbering  of  the  first-born  from  twenty 
years  and  over,  but  forming  a  parallel  to  the  Le- 
vites who  were  over  a  month  old.  Tliese  young 
first-born  are  represented  by  the  young  Levites, 
and  hence  their  excess  must  be  ransomed  by  a 
payment  to  the  high-priestly  tribe.  And  this 
not  indeed  because  the  Levites  represented  them 
at  the  Sanctuary  generally,  but  because  they  took 
their  place  at  the  theocratic  headquarters.  It 
was  a  kind  of  a  military  tax  for  minors.  Thus 
we  read  in  chap.  vii.  of  the  great  offerings  which 
the  heads  of  tribes  presented  for  the  care  of  the 
Tabernacle — they  had  already  given  their  contri- 
butions for  the  building  of  the  Tabernacle  (Exod. 
XXXV.  27).  In  that  case,  as  also  in  that  of  the 
shekel  of  the  Sanctuary,  their  payment  was  pro- 
perly a  religious  tax ;  here  it  was  a  sort  of  war 
tax.  ["  The  ransom  money,  reckoning  the  shekel 
at  halt' a  crown,  would  amount  to  12s.  6</."  Dr. 
Jamison. — Tr.].  And  when  ii  is  likewise  laid 
down  that  the  cattle  of  the  Levites  should  rep- 
resent the  first-born  of  the  cattle  of  the  individual 


30 


NUMBERS. 


tribes,  which  they  had  to  offer  up,  it  doubtless 
means  that  they  were  not  slaughtered  immedi- 
ately on  their  being  offered,  but  were  taken  into 
the  herds  of  the  Levites,  which  even  consisted 
wholly  of  sacrificial  beasts,  according  to  the  needs 
of  worship.  On  the  meaning  of  the  first-birth 
see  Knobel,  p.  13. 

D,  The  organic  basis  of  the  camping  of  the  Levites. 
The  sons  of  Levi  were  called:  Gershon, 
(stranger,  banishment)  ;  Kohath  (assembly, 
congregation) ;  Merari. — From  Gershon  came  : 
Libni  (white),  and  Shimei  (Jah  is  prince  of 
praise).  From  Kohath  sprang:  Amram  (peo- 
ple of  the  high  one?);  Izehar  (oil);  Hebron 
(union);  and,  Uzziel  (power  of  God),  The  sons 
of  Merari  were  :  Mahli  (a  tender  one,  according 
to  Fuerst),  and  Mushi  (drawn  upward  ?  allied 
to  Moses).     The  aggregate  see  in  the  text. 

E.  Levitical  Camping  Order.  The  Gershon- 
ites  encamp  behind  the  tent,  that  is,  westward  : 
their  chief  was  Eliasaph  (whom  God  has  added 
— similar  to  Joseph),  son  of  Lael  (for  God,  con- 
secrated to  God).  Their  charge  is  over  the  ex- 
ternal parts  of  the  Sanctuary,  viz.,  the  coverings 
and  hangings,  except  the  screen  of  the  Holy  of 
Holies,  The  Kohathites  camp  to  the  south- 
ward. Their  chief  was  called  Elizaphan  (whom 
God  guards),  son  of  Uzziel  (God  is  power).  To 
their  care  are  entrusted  all  the  interior  parts  of 
the  Sanctuary,  viz.,  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant, 
Thus  they  have  an  exalted  occupation,  as,  indeed, 
they  embrace  also  the  priestly  branch,  whence, 
also,  Eleazar,  the  son  of  Aaron,  is  the  superior 
of  all  the  individual  Levitic  chiefs.  Opposite  the 
Kohathites  upon  the  northern  side,  camp  the 
families  of  Merari:  their  chief  was  named 
Zuriel  (God  is  rock),  son  of  Abahail  (father 
of  strength ;  or,  father  the  strength)  ;  they  at- 
tend to  all  that  belongs  to  the  frame  work  of  the 
Tabernacle.     In  front  of  the  entrance  to  the  Ta- 


bernacle towards  the  east  encamped  Moses  and 
Aaron  with  his  sons,  who  performed  the  sacred 
acts  of  the  worship.  All  intrusion  of  strangers 
to  this  place  was  iorbidden  on  the  pain  of  death. 
[Vers.  10,  38,  the  stranger,  II  see  on  i.  51. — Tr,] 
[On  the  difiBculty  presented  by  the  proportion 
of  first-born  to  the  sum-total  of  men  fit  for  ser- 
vice, see  Introduction,  §  7  6.  Ver,  49,  The 
redeemed  of  the  Levites  mean  those  ran- 
somed by  the  equal  member  of  the  Levites, — Tr.] 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

[See  under  chap,  i. 

Chap,  iii.  14  sq,  "The  Levites  of  a  month  old 
could  not  honor  God  and  serve  the  Tabernacle  as 
those  that  were  grown  up  ;  yet  out  of  the  mouths 
of  babes  and  sucklings  the  Levites'  praise  was 
perfected.  Let  not  little  children  be  hindered 
from  being  enrolled  among  the  disciples  of  Christ, 
for  such  was  the  tribe  of  Levi;  of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  that  kingdom  of  priests. 
The  redemption  of  the  first-born  was  reckoned 
from  a  month  old  (xviii.  15.  16),  therefore  from 
that  age  the  Levites  were  numbered,"  M. 
Henry. 

Chap.  iii.  44-51.  The  relation  of  money  and 
religion  is  illustrated  by  the  ransom  for  the  273 
in  excess  of  the  22,000  first-born  of  the  Levites. 
Money  cannot  measure  the  value  of  spiritual 
things,  but  it  can  express  that  they  have  value. 
It  cannot  pay  the  debt  we  owe  to  God,  but  it  can 
express  that  we  do  owe  Him  much.  Five  she- 
kels, paid  under  the  conditions  here  specified, 
could  express  that  the  payer  owed  himself  to 
God's  service,  and  that  the  payee  accepted  the 
position  of  substitute.  While  money  has  the 
place  that  men  assign  it,  it  must  have  its  reli- 
gious use.  Where  there  is  much  money,  much 
of  it  must  flow  into  the  Lord's  treasury,  or  there 
is  little  religion  there, — Te.] 


Order  of  Service  and  Order  of  March  for  the  Levites. 

Chapter  IV.   1-49. 

1,  2     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  saying,  Take  the  sum  of  the 
sons  of  Kohath  from  among  the  sons  of  Levi,  "after  their  families,  by  "the  house 

3  of  their  fathers,  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  until  fifty  years  old,  all 
that  enter  into  the  host,  to  do  the  work  in  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

4  This  shall  he  the  service  of  the  sons  of  Kohath  in  the  -tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion, ^about  the  most  holy  things. 

5  And  when  the  camp  setteth  forward,  Aaron  shall  come,  and  his  sons,  and  they 

6  shall  take  down  the  ^covering  vail,  and  cover  the  ark  of  testimony  with  it :  And 
shall  put  thereon  the  covering  of  'badgers'  skins,  and  shall  spread  over  it  a  cloth 

7  wholly  of  «l)lue,  and  shall  put  in  the  staves  thereof  And  upon  the  table  of  shew- 
bread  they  shall  spread  a  cloth  of  "^blue,  and  put  thereon  the  dishes,  and  the  spoons, 
and  the  bowls,  and  "covers  to^  'cover  withal :  and  the  continual  bread  shall  be 

8  thereon :  And  they  shall  spread  upon  them  a  cloth  of  scarlet,  and  cover  the  same 


CHAP.  IV.  1-49.  31 


9  with  a  covering  of  'badgers'  skins,  and  shall  put  in  the  staves  thereof.  And  they 
shall  take  a  cloth  of  ^blue,  and  cover  the  candlestick  of  the  light,  and  his  lamps, 
and  his  tongs,  and  his  snufTdishes,  and  all  the  oil  vessels  thereof,  wherewith  they 

10  minister  unto  it :  And  they  shall  put  it  and  all  the  vessels  thereof  within  a  cover- 

11  ing  of 'badgers'  skins,  and  shall  put  it  upon  %  bar.  And  upon  the  golden  altar 
they  shall  spread  a  cloth  of  ^blue,  and  cover  it  with  a  covering  of  'badgers'  skins, 

12  and  shall  put  to  the  staves  thereof:  And  they  shall  take  all  the  instruments  of 
ministry,  wherewith  they  minister  in  the  sanctuary,  and  put  theyn  in  a  cloth  of 
^blue,  and  cover  them  with  a  covering  of  'badgers'  skins,  and  shall  put  them  on  •'a 

13  bar.     And  they  shall  take  away  the  ashes  from  the  altar,  and  spread  a  purple 

14  cloth  thereon  :  And  they  shall  put  upon  it  all  the  vessels  thereof,  wherewith  they 
minister  about  it,  even  the  'censers,  the  flesh-hooks,  and  the  shovels,  and  the  ^basins, 
all  the  vessels  of  the  altar ;  and  they  shall  spread  upon  it  a  covering  of  'badgers' 

15  skins,  and  put  to  the  staves  of  it.  And  when  Aaron  and  his  sons  have  made  an 
end  of  covering  the  sanctuary,  and  all  the  vessels  of  the  sanctuary,  as  the  camp  is 
to  set  forward  ;  after  that,  the  sons  of  Kohath  shall  come  to  bear  it :  but  they  shall 
not  touch  "any  holy  thing,  lest  they  die.  These  things  are  the  burden  of  the  sons 
of  Kohath  in  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

16  And  °to  the  office  of  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest  pertaineth  the  oil  for 
the  light,  and  the  sweet  incense,  and  the  "daily  meat-offering,  and  the  anointing 
oil,  a7id  the  "oversight  of  all  the  tabernacle,  and  of  all  that  therein  ts,  in  the  sanc- 
tuary, and  in  the  vessels  thereof. 

17,  18     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  saying.  Cut  ye  not  off  the 

19  tribe  of  the  families  of  the  Kohathites  from  among  the  Levites :  But  thus  do  unto 
them,  that  they  may  live,  and  not  die,  when  they  approach  unto  the  most  holy 
things :  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  go  in,  and  appoint  them  every  one  to  his  service 

20  and  to  his  burden :  But  they  shall  not  go  in  to  see  ^when  the  holy  things  are  cov- 
ered, lest  they  die. 

21,  22     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Take  also  the  sum  of  the  sons  of 

23  Gershon,  "throughout  ""the  houses  of  their  fathers,  by  their  families ;  From  thirty 
years  old  and  upward  until  fifty  years  old  shalt  thou  ^number  them  ;  all  that  enter 
in  3to  perform  the  service,  to  do  the  work  in  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

24  This  is  the  sei-vice  of  the  families  of  the  Gershonites,  to  serve,  and  for  ^'^burden: 

25  And  they  shall  bear  the  curtains  of  the  tabernacle,  and  the  "tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation, his  covering,  and  the  covering  of  the  'badgers'  skins  that  is  above  upon 

26  it,  and  the  ''hanging  for  the  door  of  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  And  the 
hangings  of  the  court,  and  the  "^hanging  for  the  door  of  the  gate  of  the  court,  which 
is  by  the  tabernacle  and  by  the  altar  round  about,  and  their  cords,  and  all  the 
instruments  of  their  service,  and  all  that  is  made  for  them  :  so  shall  they  serve. 

27  At  the  ^appointment  of  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  be  all  the  service  of  the  sons  of 
the  Gershonites,  in  all  their  burdens,  and  in  all  their  service :  and  ye  shall  'ap- 

28  point  unto  them  in  charge  all  their  burdens.  This  is  the  service  of  the  families  of 
the  sons  of  Gershon  in  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation :  and  their  charge  shall 
be  under  the  hand  of  Ithamar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest. 

29  As  for  the  sons  of  Merari,  thou  shalt  ''number  them  "after  their  families,  by  ''the 

30  house  of  their  fathers ;  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto  fifty  years  old 
shalt  thou  ^number  them,  every  one  that  entereth  into  the  ^service,  to  do  the  work 

31  of  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  And  this  is  the  charge  of  their  burden, 
according  to  all  their  service  in  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation  ;  the  boards  of 
the  tabernacle,  and  the  bars  thereof,  and  the  pillars  thereof,  and  sockets  thereof, 

32  And  the  pillars  of  the  court  round  about,  and  their  sockets,  and  their  pins,  and 
their  cords,  with  all  their  ''instruments,  and  with  all  their  service  ;  and  by  name  ye 

33  shall  ^reckon  the  ''instruments  of  the  charge  of  their  burden.  This  is  the  service 
of  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Merari,  according  to  all  their  service,  in  the  "taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation,  under  the  hand  of  Ithamar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest. 

34  And  Moses  and  Aaron  and  the  'chief  of  the  congregation  ''numbered  the  sons  of 

35  the  Kohathites  "after  their  families,  and  "after  Hhe  house  of  their  fathers.  From 
thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto  fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  entereth  into 

36  the  service,  for  the  work  in  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation  :  And  those  that 


82 


NUMBERS. 


were  ^numbered  of  them  by  their  families  were  two  thousand  seven  hundred  and 

37  fifty.  These  icere  they  that  were  "numbered  of  the  families  of  the  Kohathites,  all 
that  might  do  service  in  the  '^tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  which  Moses  and 
Aaron  did  ^number  according  to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of 

38  Moses.     And  those  that  were  ^numbered  of  the  sons  of  Gershon,  ''throughout  their 

39  families,  and  by  "the  house  of  their  fathers,  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward, 
even  unto  fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  entereth  into  the  service,  for  the  work  in 

40  the  "^tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  Even  those  that  were  "numbered  of  them, 
^throughout  their  families,  by  ""the  house  of  their  fathers,  were  two  thousand  and 

41  six  hundred  and  thirty.  These  are  they  that  were  ""numbered  of  the  families  of  the 
sons  of  Gershon,  of  all  that  might  do  service  in  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
whom  Moses  and  Aaron  did  ""number  according  to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord. 

42  And  those  that  were  ""numbered  of  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Merari,  ^through- 

43  out  their  families,  by  Hhe  house  of  their  fathers.  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward 
even  unto  fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  entereth  into  the  service,  for  the  work  in 

44  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  Even  those  that  were  "numbered  of  them 
\after  their  families,  were  three  thousand  and  two  hundred. 

45  These  he  those  that  were  "numbered  of  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Merari,  whom 
Moses  and  Aaron  "numbered  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of 

46  Moses.  All  those  that  were  "numbered  of  the  Levites,  whom  Moses  and  Aaron  and 
the  Vhief  of  Israel  "numbered,  "after  their  families,  and  "after  "the  house  of  their 

47  fathers.  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto  fifty  years  old,  every  one  that 
came  to  do  the  service  of  the  ministry,  and  the  service  of  the  burden  in  the  °taber- 

48  nacle  of  the  congregation.  Even  those  that  were  "numbered  of  them  were  eight  thou- 

49  sand  and  five  hundred  and  fourscore.  According  to  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord  they  were  ^numbered  by  the  hand  of  Moses,  every  one  according  to  his  ser- 
vice, and  according  to  his  burden :  'thus  were  they  numbered  of  him,  as  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses. 


1  Or,  pour  out  withal. 

*  Or,  carriage. 

»  by. 

*  omit  about. 
t  blue  purple. 
}  the  bier. 

■n  the  sanctuary. 

p  even  for  an  instant,  om.  are  covered. 

*  chiefs. 

»  muster,  mustered. 


2  Or,  bowls. 
6  Heb.  mouth. 


*  Heb.  to  war  the  warfare. 
6  Heb.  warfare. 


^  their  fathers'-houses.  "  Tent  of  Meeting. 

e  veil  of  the  screen.  ^  .sealskin. 

h  mugs.  '  of  the  drink-offering. 

k  utensils.  '  fire-pans. 

n  the  charge  of  Eleazar,  etc.,  is  oil,  etc.  «  continual  meal  offering. 

q  to  carrxi.  '  screen. 

»  And  this  is  his  numbering  (or  mustering). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

Chap.  iv.  1  sq.  Next  come  the  particular  acts 
to  be  done  at  the  breaking  up  of  the'  camp  and 
on  the  march  by  the  different  divisions  of  the 
Levites,  and  for  whose  discharge  the  priestly 
age,  30  years,  is  requisite. 

(a)  The  Ark  and  the  Holy  Things  of  the 
Sanctuary. — The  taking  up  of  the  tent  for  the 
march  is  performed  in  perfect  accordance  with 
the  idea  of  a  tent,  beginning  in  the  inside  and 
working  outward.  Only  Aaron  and  his  son  are 
called  to  this  guardiansliip  of  the  Holy  of  Holies. 
The  care  of  the  Ark  of  Testimony  takes  pre- 
cedence. In  order  to  prepare  it  for  the  march, 
Aaron  and  his  sons  must  even  go  into  the  Holy 
of  Holies;  for  the  rule  which  forbids  even  the 
high  priest  to  enter  the  Holy  of  Holies  but  once 
a  year  is  suspended.  From  the  eyes  of  the  peo- 
ple, however,  the  Ark  must  be  strictly  concealed  ; 
it  must  be  not  only  unapproachable,  but  also  in- 
visible. It  is  first  enwrapped  in  the  veil  of  the 
screen,  then  in  a  covering  of  lachash  skins  (see 
on  Exod.  xxvi.),  and  over  that  is  spread  a  cloth 
of  hyacinth  purple  (distinguished  by  this  color 


of  Jehovah) ;  and  thereto  the  staves  are  again 
set,  which  had  to  be  taken  away  during  the  co- 
vering. The  second  object  of  highest  veneration 
is  the  Table  of  Shewbread.  Upon  its  pur- 
ple cover  are  laid  the  utensils  belonging  to  it,  the 
shewbread  as  well ;  and  these  in  turn  are  covered 
with  a  scarlet  cloth  and  with  a  cover  of  tachash 
skins;  the  staves  are  then  set.  After  this  comes 
the  candlestick,  enveloped  in  like  manner; 
likewise  the  golden  altar,  or  incense  altar. 
The  Altar  of  burnt  offerings,  however,  is  not 
covered  with  a  purple  cloth,  but,  together  with 
its  utensils,  with  a  cloth  of  scarlet.  ["It  is  re- 
markable that  Moses  says  nothing  in  this  con- 
nection respecting  the  Laver,  which  was  one  of 
the  principal  vessels.  The  omission  is  supplied 
by  the  LXX.  at  the  end  of  this  verse,  and  reads: 
'And  they  shall  take  a  purple  cloth  and  cover 
the  Laver  and  its  base  (foot),  and  they  shall  put 
it  into  a  blue  cover  of  skin,  and  put  it  on  bars.' 
Capellus,  Grotius,  Houbigant  suppose  that 
this  clause  has  slipped  out  of  the  Hebrew  text, 
and  with  them  Rosenmueller  is  disposed  to 
agree.  Ainsworth  suggests  that  the  Laver  is  not 
mentioned  because  it  was  not  to  be  covered." 
Bush  in  loc;  where  see  also  Ains worth's  alle- 


CHAP.  IV.   1-49. 


33 


gorical  interpretation  of  his  conjectured  fact. 
— Tr.]  Tliis  packing  is  all  done  by  the  priests  ; 
but  the  (rjinsportatioa  is  performed  by  the  Ko- 
haihites,  who  at  tlie  same  time  are  most  strictly 
iforbidilen  to  touch  the  holy  things  themselves. 
Here  the  authority  of  the  Aaronitic  Kohathite 
to  attend  to  the  Sanctuary  (ver.  16)  and  the  com- 
petency of  the  Kohathites  in  general  are  sharply 
distinguished.  Since  they  were  the  immediate 
assi^t><nts  of  Eleazar,  they  might  most  easily 
as  Levites  incur  death  by  touching  or  beholding 
tlie  Holy  of  Holies.  [Instances  of  the  actual  in- 
fliction of  this  penalty  are  1  Sam.  vi.  19 ;  2  Sam. 
vi.  6,  7.— Tr.] 

(b)  The  employment  of  the  Gershonites 
(v>trs.  22-28).  As  the  Kohathites  stand  under 
tlie  special  superintendence  of  Eleazar,  so  do  the 
Gershonites  under  that  of  Ithamar,  second  son 
of  Aaron,  who  is  aho  special  supervisor  of  the 
services  of  the  Merarites  (ver.  33).  [Ithamar 
superintemled  the  construction  of  the  Taberna- 
cle (Exod.  xxxviii.  21).  Thus  the  permanent 
offices  of  the  leaders  spring  out  of  the  duties  that 
devolved  on  them  during  the  first  year  of  the 
Exodus.  Ver.  23.  To  war  the  v^arfare. — This 
is  military  language.  Ministerial  service  is  a 
warfare  for  God,  chap.  viii.  24,  25. — Tr.] 

(c)  The  employment  of  the  Merarites 
(vers.  29-33).  These  have  the  heaviest  portion 
of  the  Tabernacle  to  bear,  while  the  Gershonites 
have  the  most  difficult  part  to  do  ;  and  the  charge 
of  the  Kohathites  is  seen  to  be  honorable,  but  in 
a  special  degree  dangerous  and  full  of  care. 
These  Merarites  also  stand  under  the  direction 
of  Ithamar. 

(d)  By  the  official  count  of  the  Levites  capa- 
ble of  service  there  were  numbered  :  of  the  Ko- 
hathites, 2,750;  of  the  Gf'rshonites,  2,630;  of  the 
Merarites,  3,200.  [By  this  account  it  appears 
that  out  of  the  whole  number  of  Levites,  viz., 
22,300,  only  8,580  were  fit  for  service.  More- 
over the  family  of  Merari,  though  numerically 
the  smallest  family  of  Levi,  had  3,200  fit  for  ser- 
vice, or  more  than  half  their  number  above  a 
month  old,  and  more  than  either  of  the  two  other 
families.  The  most  natural  inference  from  these 
data  is,  not  that  these  numbers  give  the  number 
of  able-bodied  men,  but  that  they  give  only  the 
number  detailed  for  duty,  and  that  this  number 
was  proportioned  to  the  service  to  be  performed. 
Tills  explanation  accords  with  the  fact  that  the 
service  of  each  family  is  first  described  and  then 
the  detail  of  men  to  do  it  is  given.  It  seems  also 
to  be  the  plain  meaning  of  vers.  48,  49:  "they 
were  numbered  according  to  their  service  and 
according  to  their  burden."  It  agrees  also  with 
what  we  have  found  to  be  the  proper  meaning  of 
np_3  ;  see  on  i.  3.  It  applies  to  the  marshalling 
and  enrolling  for  duty. — Tr.] 

[Vers.  31,  32.  The  practical  importance  of  de- 
tailing the  burdens  and  bearers  of  all  this  variety 
of  stuff  may  be  illustrated  by  the  feature  com- 
mon to  all  Arab  decampment  as  thus  described 
by  E.  H.  Palmer,  The  Desert  of  Exodus,  Chap. 
III.  "The  task  of  apportioning  the  loads  is  al- 
ways a  difficult   one.      The  Arabs  scream  and 


struggle  as  though  about  to  engage  in  a  san- 
guinary tight;  and  each  one,  as  he  gets  the  op- 
portunity, will  seize  upon  the  lightest  things 
which  he  can  find,  and,  if  not  immediately  re- 
pressed, will  hasten  oS"  to  his  camel  with  about 
a  quarter  of  his  proper  load,  leaving  his  com- 
rades to  fight  over  the  heavier  burdens." 

Of  course  there  was  a  higher  importance.  God 
took  the  Tabernacle  as  His  peculiar  charge,  and 
the  Levites  as  His  soldiers.  Had  the  strictly 
military  part  of  the  expedition  been  administered 
with  the  same  care,  the  host  had  been  irresistible. 
God's  care  in  sacred  things  was  an  example  to 
the  princes  in  secular  things. 

Another  higher  importance  was  that  all  this 
precise  arrangement  was  typical.  It  reveals 
God's  nature  and  ways.  What  He  did  in  these 
matters  He  will  do  in  others  when  like  interests 
are  involved.  He  will  not  overlook  any  of  the 
details  of  salvation.  The  very  tongs  and  ashes, 
the  teni-pins  and  cords,  will  be  attended  to. 
See  M.  Henry  on  iv.  21-23.  But  in  tracing  this 
typical  import,  one  must  avoid  attaching  special 
significance  to  each  minor  detail.  ''A  variety 
of  details  was  necessary  to  express  one  simple 
truth."  "The  simple  idea  expressed  by  such 
regulations,  leaving  no  part  or  arrangement, 
however  minute,  to  be  formed  according  to  the 
taste  or  judgment  of  human  artificers,  was  that 
no  human  devices  must  mix  in  the  service  of  God 
or  in  any  thing  typical  of  the  way  of  salvation." 
Macdonald,  Inlrod.  to  the  Pentateuch^  Vol.  II.  p. 
463.— Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

[Ver.  4.  "Enter  into  the  host — do  the  work  in  the 
Tent  of  Meeting.  The  ministry  is :  1.  A  good  work, 
1  Tim.  iii.  1.  Ministers  are  not  ordained  to  honor 
only,  but  to  labor;  not  to  have  the  wages,  but  to 
do  the  work.  2.  A  good  tvarfare,  1  Tim.  i.  18. 
They  that  enter  the  ministry  must  look  upon 
themselves  as  entered  into  the  host,  and  approve 
themselves  good  soldiers,  2  Tim.  ii.  3."  M. 
Henry. 

Vers.  5-15.  The  covering  of  the  holy  things. 
The  proper  care  of  sacred  things.     "  1.   For  safety. 

2.  For  decency  and  ornament;  ''adorn  the  doc- 
trine of  God  our  Saviour,"  Tit.  ii.  10.  "  Strength 
and   beauty  are   in  His  sanctuary,"   Ps.  xcvi.  6. 

3.  For  concealment.  It  signifies  the  darkness  of 
that  dispensation.  They  saw  only  the  coverings, 
not  the  holy  things  themselves  (Heb.  x.  1);  but 
now  Christ  has  ''destroyed  the  face  of  the  co- 
vering," Isa.  XXV.  7.  M.  Henry.  And  now,  too, 
''we  see  through  a  glass  darkly,"  1  Cor.  xiii.l2. 

Ver.  18.  "  Cut  ye  not  off  the  tribe  of  the  fami- 
lies of  the  Kohathites  from  among  the  Levites^'' 
What  might  have  happened  bv  Moses'  fault  he 
would  be  said  to  do,  and  would  bear  the  guilt. 
So  God  holds  ministers  accountable.  This  lays 
a  charge  on  pastors  in  relation  to  all  elders, 
deacons.  Sabbath  School  teachers,  leaders  of 
prayer-meetings,  who  under  their  superintend- 
ence minister  in  the  sacred  things  of  the  gospel. 
-Tr.] 


8 


84 


NUMBERS. 


THIRD  SECTION. 

Exclusion  of  Lepers  and  all  Persons  Levitically  Unclean   from   the  Holy  Camp. 

Camp  Laws  for  Those  Morally  Guilty. 

Chapter  V.  1-10. 

1,  2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Command  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  they  put  out  of  the  camp  every  leper,  and  every  one  that  hath  an  issue,  and 

3  whosoever  is  defiled  by  the  dead :  Both  male  and  female  shall  ye  put  out,  without 
the  camp  shall  ye  put  them ;  that  they  defile  not  their  camps,  in  the  midst  whereof 

4  I  dwell.  And  the  children  of  Israel  did  so,  and  put  them  out  without  the  camp : 
as  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  so  did  the  children  of  Israel. 

5,  6  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
When  a  man  or  woman  shall  commit  any  sin  that  men  commit,  to  do  a  trespass 

7  against  the  Lord,  and  that  person  be  guilty ;  Then  they  shall  confess  their  sin 
which  they  have  done :  and  he  shall  recompense  his  'trespass  ""with  the  principal 
thereof,  and  add  unto  it  the  fifth  part  thereof,  and  give  it  unto  him  against  whom 

8  he  hath  trespassed.  But  if  the  man  have  no  kinsman  to  recompense  the  'trespass 
unto,  'let  the  trespass  be  recompensed  unto  the  Lord,  e^en  to  the  priest ;  *beside 

9  the  ram  of  the  atonement,  whereby  an  atonement  shall  be  made  for  him.  And 
every  'ofiering  of  all  the  holy  things  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  they  bring 

10  unto  the  priest,  shall  be  his.     And  every  man's  hallowed  things  shall  be  his: 
whatsoever  any  man  giveth  the  priest,  it  shall  be  his. 

1  Or,  heave  offering. 

a  quilt,  i>  the  very  sum.  De  Wette;  according  to  its  full  value,  Bunsen;  according  to  its  total  amount, 

ZuNZ.'        "     0  the  guilt  recompensed  belongs  to  the  ho&s,  for '^t  he  priest.  ^except. 

In  general,  we  may  regard  these  concrete 
constructions  as  giving  emphasis  to  previous 
constructions.  The  military  camp  is  the  con- 
gregation of  God  in  higher  potency. 

Vers.  1-4.  The  period  of  exclusion  was  for 
the  men!?truons  seven  days;  for  momentary  un- 
cleanness,  for  bloody  flux,  an  indefinite  period, 
according  to  the  continuance  of  the  malady. 
"Only  those  named  were  aCFected  by  the  law, 
not  such  as  were  rendered  unclean  only  for  the 
current  day.  Women  confined  were,  according 
to  Lev.  xii.,  called  unclean,  but  apart  from  holy 
things  were  not  said  to  defile."  ["God  was 
not  acting  as  a  physician  and  merely  consulting 
the  health  of  the  people,  but  exercised  them  in 
purity.  For  by  joining  with  the  lepers  those 
who  had  an  issue,  etc.,  he  instructs  the  people 
simply  to  keep  away  from  all  uncleanness." 
Calvin.  Their  camps.— The  plural  is  sup- 
posed to  refer  to  the  successive  encampments 
(Bush).  Others,  both  Jewish  and  Christian 
commentators,  understand  the  reference  to  be 
to  the  arrangement  of  the  encampment  into 
three  camps:  (1)  the  Tabernacle,  (2)  the  Le- 
vites,  (S)  the  rest  of  Israel.  Their  would  then 
refer  to  numbers  (2)  and  (.3).     See  Bush  in  loc. 

Vers.  5-10.  Any  sin  that  men  commit 
[e.  <j.  Lev.  V.  21,  22  (vi.  2.  3)  — Tr.],  to  do  a 
trespass  against  the  LORD ;  so  that  resti- 
tution may  not  be  dispensed  with  [comp.  Lev. 
V.  23-26  (vi.  4-7)].     Here  the  specification   of 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

In    this  section   it  becomes   especially   clear, 
that  the  component  parts  of  the  Book  of  Num- 
bers appear  under  the  concrete  view-point,  that 
the  military  encampment  of  God  shall  be  kept 
Bacred,  particularly,  too,  because  it  should  be 
free  from  every  censure,  and  so  be  invincible. 
For  as  regards  the  matter  composing  this  chap- 
ter, the  greater  part  has  formed  the  substance 
of  previous   writings.     The  first  section,   vers. 
1-4,  appears  already  in  Lev.  xi.-xv.     The  sec- 
ond section,  vers.  5-10,  is  for  the  most  part  in 
the  passage  on  the  sin-offering,   Lev.  v.  14-26; 
comp.  vii.  1-10.     Thus  the  concrete   reference, 
or  the  formal  totality  of  the  representation  of 
the  idea  of  this  book  demanded  the  apparent 
repetition,  as  this  in  fact  obtains  everywhere  in 
the  books  of  the  Bible.     It  is  not  the  materials 
that  determine  their  formal  disposition;   but  the 
power  of  the  form  reigns,  organizes  and    ani- 
mates (he  materials,  as  the  soul  does  the  body. 
In   this  its   characteristic   trait   the   Scriptures 
contrast  with  the  many  short-comings  of  more 
recent  anil  modern  criticism.     Because  men  do 
not  know  the  formative  power  of  biblical  ideas, 
they  rummage  the  materials  of  the  Bible  helter- 
skelter,  and   endlessly,   e.  ff.  in    respect  to  the 
Pentateuch,  .lob,  the  four  Gospels,  the  relation 
between  the  Epistles  to  the  Ephesians  and  to 
the  Colossians. 


CHAP.  V.  11-31. 


35 


Lev.  V.  23  (vi.  24)  sqq.  is  supplemented  by  sup- 
posing a  case  where  the  man  to  whom  restitu- 
tion ought  to  be  made  is  not  present.  From 
the.  words:  if  the  man  have  no  kinsman 
{goel)  to  •whom  restitution  may  be  made 
for  guilt,  Keil  [also  Calvin. — Tr.]  infers  that 
it  is  assumed  that  the  offended  person  himself  is 
no  longer  alive.  It  is  nearer  the  mark  to  see  a 
goel  [redeemer]  in  the  qualified  receiver  of  the 
debt  (be  it  the  offended  person  himself  or  a 
kinsman).  The  redeemer  or  receiver  becomes 
here,  in  some  n<easure,  the  freer  of  the  guilty 
person  that  has  confessed  the  consciousness  of 


his  guilt.  When,  therefore,  this  one  is  wanting, 
the  indemnity  is  to  be  paid  to  the  priest,  except 
the  sin-offering,  which  is  paid  to  God.  Jehovah 
gives  the  indemnity  to  the  priest.  This  then 
leads  to  the  more  general  specification,  that  so- 
called  heave-offerings  [comp.  Ex.  xxv.  1-9] 
or  votive  gifts  may  be  made  to  the  priest.  These 
gifts  could  be  personal,  so  that  they  needed  not 
to  flow  into  the  Temple  treasury.  By  this  it 
was  made  possible  for  these  cases  of  guilt  to  be 
treated  more  confidentially,  which  also  gave  the 
greater  encouragement  to  the  confession  of  guilt 
and  to  restitution. 


FOURTH   SECTION. 

Marriage  Inviolable  in  the  Sacred  Army.     The  Offering  of  Jealousy. 

of  Cursing. 

Chapter  V.  11-31. 


The  Water 


11,  12  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  say  unto  them.  If  any  man's  wife  go  aside,  and  commit  a  trespass  against  him, 

13  And  a  man  lie  with  her  carnally,  and  it  be  hid  from  the  eyes  of  her  husband,  and 
be  kept  close,  and  she  be  defiled,  and  there  he  no  witness  against  her,  neither  she 

14  be  taken  ^with  the  manner ;  And  the  spirit  of  jealousy  come  upon  him,  and  he  be 
jealous  of  his  wife,  and  she  be  defiled  ;  or  if  the  spirit  of  jealousy  come  upon  him, 

15  and  he  be  jealous  of  his  wife,  and  she  be  not  defiled :  Then  shall  the  man  bring 
his  wife  unto  the  priest,  and  he  shall  bring  her  "offering  for  her,  the  tenth  part  of 
an  ephah  of  barley  meal ;  he  shall  pour  no  oil  upon  it,  nor  put  frankincense 
thereon;  for  it  is  an  "offering  of  jealousy,  an  'offering  of  memorial,  bringing  ini- 
quity to  remembrance.  And  the  priest  shall  bring  her  near,  and  set  her  before 
the  Lord  :  And  the  priest  shall  take  holy  water  in  an  earthen  vessel ;  and  of  the 
dust  that  is  ''in  the  floor  of  the  tabernacle  the  priest  shall  take,  and  put  it  into  the 
water :  And  the  priest  shall  set  the  woman  before  the  Lord,  and  uncover  the 
woman's  head,  and  put  the  ''ofiering  of  memorial  in  her  hands,  which  is  the  jeal- 
ousy "oflfering :  and  the  priest  shall  have  in  his  hand  the  bitter  water  that  causeth 
the  curse :  And  the  priest  shall  charge  her  by  an  oath,  and  say  unto  the  woman. 
If  no  man  have  lain  with  thee,  and  if  thou  hast  not  gone  aside  to  uncleanness 
'  '^with  another  instead  of  thy  husband,  be  thou  free  from  this  bitter  water  that 
causeth  the  curse :  But  if  thou  hast  gone  aside^  Ho  another  instead  of  thy  husband, 
and  if  thou  be  defiled,  and  some  man  have  lain  with  thee  besides  thine  husband : 
Then  the  priest  shall  charge  the  woman  with  ^an  oath  of  cursing,  and  the  priest 
shall  say  unto  the  woman.  The  Lord  make  thee  a  curse  and  an  oath  among  thy 
people,  when  the  Lord  doth  make  thy  thigh  to  ^'rot,  and  thy  belly  to  swell; 
And  this  water  that  causeth  the  curse  shall  go  into  thy  bowels,  to  make  thy  belly 
to  swell,  and  thy  thigh  to  Vot.  And  the  woman  shall  say.  Amen,  amen.  And  the 
priest  shall  write  these  curses  in  a  book,  and  he  shall  blot  them  out  ^with  the  bitter 
water :  And  he  shall  cause  the  woman  to  drink  the  bitter  water  that  causeth  the 
curse :  and  the  water  that  causeth  the  curse  shall  enter  into  her,  ^and  become  bit- 
ter. Then  the  priest  shall  take  the  jealousy  "oflTering  out  of  the  woman's  hand, 
and  shall  wave  the  ''offering  before  the  Lord,  and  'offer  it  upon  the  altar :  And 
the  priest  shall  take  a  handful  of  the  "offering,  even  the  memorial  thereof,  and 
burn  it  upon  the  altar,  and  afterward  shall  cause  the  woman  to  drink  the  water. 
And  when  he  hath  made  her  to  drink  the  water,  then  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  if 
she  be  defiled,  and  have  done  trespass  against  her  husband,  that  the  water  that 


16 

17 

18 


19 


20 


21 


22 
23 

24 

25 
26 


27 


86 


NUMBERS. 


causeth  the  curse  shall  enter  into  her,  ^and  become  bitter,  and  her  belly  shall  swell, 

28  and  her  thigh  shall  'rot :  and  the  woman  shall  be  a  curse  among  her  people.    And 
if  the  woman  be  not  defiled,  but  be  clean ;  then  she  shall  be  free,  and  ^shall  con- 

29  ceive  seed.     This  is  the  law  of  jealousies,  when  a  wife  goeth  aside^  Ho  another  in- 

30  stead  of  her  husband,  and  is  defiled ;  Or  when  the  spirit  of  jealousy  cometh  upon 
him,  and  he  be  jealous  over  his  wife,  and  shall  set  the  woman  before  the  Lord, 

31  and  the  priest  shall  execute  upon  her  all  this  law.     Then  shall  the  man  be  guilt- 
less from  iniquity,  and  this  woman  shall  bear  her  iniquity. 


1  Or,  being  in  the  power  of  thy  husband. 


2  Heb.  under  thy  husband. 


8  Heb.  fall. 


»  in  the  act. 
h  for  bitterness. 


1>  oblation.  '  meal-offering.  *  on.  •  the.  '  shrink. 

'  present  it  at.  ^  [Heb.  shall  be  sown  with  seed.   Calvin. — Te.] 


tinto. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

a)  The  offering  of  jealousy.  This  law  ia 
BO  unique  and  peculiar  that  it  is  no  wonder  that 
theological  literaiure  has  busied  itself  a  great 
deal  with  the  subject  (see  a  list  of  the  literature 
in  Knobel,  p.  20;  Keil,  p.  210.  Especially 
deserving  of  notice  is  Oehler's  article  in  Her- 
zog's  R.  Enc.  XIX.,  p.  472,  Eiferopfer).  Knobel 
expresses  surprise  that  this  ordinance  should 
be  put  just  here.  Other  modern  "critical" 
deliverances  can  infer  nothing  better  than  that 
the  extraordinary  representations  of  this  bibli- 
cal passage  aiford  an  evident  proof  against  the 
doctrine  of  iuspiration.  But  both  views  spring 
from  a  want  of  penetration  into  the  idea  of  this 
ordinance.  As  regards  the  place  of  this  pas- 
sage, it,  as  well  as  the  two  that  precede  [v.  1-4; 
5-10],  has  to  do  with  preserving  the  purity  of 
Jehovah's  military  encampment.  The  jealous 
man,  that  suspects  his  wife  of  adultery,  is  a 
combatant  of  Jehovah's,  and  as  such  should 
keep  himself  pure.  But,  while  in  a  jealous 
mood,  he  might  transgress  in  two  ways.  He 
might  in  an  outburst  of  anger  abuse  or  repudi- 
ate his  wife  on  mere  suspicion:  or  also,  as  a 
loose  character,  be  might  continue  to  indulge 
his  sensual  lust  with  the  womnn,  though  he  re- 
garded her  as  a  courtezin.  Either  would  con- 
flict in  the  grossest  way  with  the  theocratic 
personal  dignity.  Also  the  woman,  moved  by 
the  man's  arbitrariness,  might  capriciously  sur- 
render herself  to  the  sensual  pleasure.  We 
have  cause  to  deplore  such  a  reciprocal  effect  as 
a  great  heathendom  of  disregard  of  personality 
within  Christendom  ;  especially  among  Roraan- 
ish  nations.  Some  of  these,  as  the  Spaniards, 
gratify  their  jealousy  by  revenge,  while  others, 
especially  the  French,  suffer  their  suspicion  to 
depenorale  into  an  immoral  tolerance  that  lets 
each  do  as  he  pleases.  In  cither  case  marriage 
is  desecrated,  personality  is  degraded;  and 
whereas,  in  (he  one  case,  the  births  of  the  wo- 
mnn mu>-t  suffer  injury  from  the  anger  of  the 
man,  in  the  other  case,  a  coaditloa  of  bastardy 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  13.  "  Kai  KoifiTjSfl  Tis  )U€t'  out^?  Koirqv  cTjrep/iiaTos."  LXX.  "  Et  coierit  aliquis  cum  ea  coitu  seminis." 
Caxvin. 

Ver.  20.  "imX   hTI,   etc.    Kai  iSuixe  tis  tvv  Koi-niv  aiiTov  iv  <roi.  LXX.     Dederitque  aliquis  in  te  semen  suum. 

Caxvin. 

Tlie  euphemism  of  the  A.  V.  and  of  Dr.  Lange's  translator,  Pastor  Fay,  in  rendering  these  verses  may  not 
endanger  the  correct  understanding  of  the  passage,  as  would  be  the  case  in  Lev.  xv.  18,  where  a  literal  rendering 
is  given.  See  the  Comm.  there.  But  still  it  is  safe  not  to  attempt  to  be  more  delicate  than  God's  written  word. 
-Te.] 

spreads  through  the  nation,  that  injures  the 
mor°,l  roots  of  its  existence.  Hence  the  giving 
of  the  law  took  another  course  in  order  to  pre- 
serve the  integrity  of  mjirriage,  by  permitting 
the  writing  of  divorce,  yet  under  discipline  and 
oversight,  and  by  not  forbidding  the  man  to 
maintain  concubines.  The  woman,  it  is  true, 
seems  to  be  at  disadvantage  by  these  legal 
enactments.  Still  she  had  her  liberty  if  she 
remained  unmarried,  whereas  the  man  also  be- 
came a  transgressor  if  he  sinned  with  another 
man's  wife.  But  this  stricter  position  of  the 
woman  docs  not  rest  on  merely  psychological 
reasons.  The  giving  of  the  Law  operated  still 
more  in  favor  of  sacred  births  than  of  sacred 
marriages.  By  the  moral  refinement  of  the 
births  Israel  was  to  be  elevated  from  generation 
to  generation,  till  it  attained  the  realization  of 
ethical  virginity  (see  John  i.  12,  13).  Hence 
the  holy  legislation  took  in  charge  the  natural 
right  of  jealousy,  just  as  it  did  the  matter  of 
divorce.  It  did  not,  indeed,  deal  with  the  case 
where  the  woman  could  be  convicted  of  her 
guilt,  and  so,  on  the  other  hand,  fortifying  the 
denial  by  a  simple  oath,  could  make  the  evil  in 
this  case  only  worse.  Hence  no  other  recourse 
than  this  was  possible  on  legal  ground.  But  the 
spirit  of  the  legislation  was  quite  conscious  that 
even  with  this  awful  conjuration  no  absolute 
certainty  was  attained,  but  only  a  legal  and 
social  certainty.  Moreover,  it  is  assumed,  not 
without  reason,  that  the  awful  form  of  this 
cleansing  procedure  made  it  primarily  a  pre- 
ventive measure  that  was  not  often  carried  into 
execution. 

With  respect  to  the  significance  of  the  parti- 
cular parts  of  this  transaction,  it  must  assuredly 
be  calleil  an  error  when  they  are  so  often  con- 
strued as  if  they  would  anticipate  the  punish- 
ment. The  justice  of  the  Scripture  distinguishes 
between  suxpicion  and  certain  judgment.  Hence 
the  justice  of  Joseph  of  Nazareth  consisted  in 
his  seeking  a  middle  course  in  his  suspicion, 
and  being  unwilling  to  dismiss  his  betrothed 
with  a  public  rebuke  (see  on  Matt.  i.  19).  Thus 
it  is  a  glaring  assumption  when  the  inferior  sort 


CHAP.  V.  11-31. 


37 


of  material  of  the  oflFering,  viz.  barley  meal,  that 
was  else  used  to  feed  cattle,  is  made  to  signify 
that  the  adulteress  does  not  distinguish  herself 
from  the  beasts  (Philo),  or  that  the  woman  has 
behaved  like  an  irrational  brute  (Jonathan, 
etc.).  The  same  is  true  in  respect  to  the  min- 
gling of  dust  with  the  holy  water  that  the  wo- 
man must  drink.  To  the  interpretation  just 
mentioned,  Keil,  as  well  as  Knobel,  objects 
that  the  woman  bringing  the  oflFering  migtit,  in 
fact,  be  innocent.  Yet  further  on  he  adopts  the 
explanation:  "Dust  is  poured  into  the  water, 
not  to  signify  that  man  is  made  of  dust,  and 
must  return  to  dust  again,  but  as  an  allusion  to 
the  serpent's  eating  dust  (Gen.  iii.  14),  as  a 
curse  of  sin,  consequently  as  an  image  of  de- 
serving a  curse,  of  the  deepest  shame  and  hu- 
miliation (Mic.  vii.  17;  Isa.  xlix.  23;  Ps.  Ixxii. 
9)."  The  serpent,  of  course^  sometimes  feeds  on 
the  dust  of  the  Temple;  siill  it  is  not  said  that 
this  was  destined  for  its  food.  Oehler  here 
agrees  with  Keil:  "By  drinking,  the  penetra- 
tion of  the  curse  into  the  inmost  part  of  the  body 
is  effected  (comp.  the  expression  in  Ps.  cix.  18). 
We  say  effected,  not  symbolized.  For  according 
to  the  simple  meaning  of  the  words  in  ver. 27  the 
water  is  not  merely  to  be  regarded  as  a  symbol 
and  pledge,  but  the  actual  vehicle  of  the  divine 
curse,  Keil  says  very  justly  (p.  301),  etc."  Is 
an  hypothetical  curse,  that  possibly  may  be  not 
only  without  injurious  effect,  but  may  even  bring 
about  a  blessing,  to  be  called  here  directly  a 
curse? 

But  besides  these  significations  that  forestall 
judgment^  rabbinical  exaggerations  of  a  fabulous 
kind  have  especially  obscured  the  passage.  For 
instance,  "the  immediate  effect"  is  thus  de- 
scribed (SoTA,  III.  4) :  "  Hardly  had  she  drunk 
the  bitter  water,  when,  if  she  were  unclean,  her 
countenance  began  to  turn  yellow,  her  eyes  pro- 
truded, and  her  veins  burst,"  etc.  No  wonder 
that  the  same  treatise  has  it  that,  even  before  the 
decision,  her  veil  and  garments  were  torn  off  her, 
black  clothes  put  on  her,  and  a  cord  to  girdle 
her  breast. 

b)  The  moving  cause,  vers.  10-14.  The  some- 
what cumbersome  expression  admits  indeed  the 
assumption  that  the  man's  jealousy  was  well- 
founded,  still  without  deciding.  [The  spirit 
of  jealousy,  ver.  14.  Comp.  Prov.  vi.  34.  Song 
of  Sol.  viii.  6.— Tr.]. 

c)  The  presentation  of  the  woman  before  the  priest 
with  her  offering^  ver.  15.  The  poor  bond  of  union 
that  still  exists  between  both  parties,  is  desig- 
nated by  the  inferior  offering,  which  still  the 
man  must  provide,  but  the  woman  is  to  present. 
It  is  a  meal  ofifering,  mincha,  consisting  of  the 
tenth  part  of  an  epha  of  barley  meal.  Bar- 
ley, worth  only  half  as  much  as  wheat,  was  the 
food  of  the  poor,  and  even  of  the  cattle.  But 
these  two,  in  their  present  relation,  were  a  house 
that  had  become  poor.  They  were  to  add  nei- 
ther oil  nor  frankincense,  for  it  would  be 
contrary  to  the  truth,  since,  in  such  agitation, 
the  life  of  the  soul  and  the  spirit  of  prayer  are 
completely  depressed,  if  both  are  not  entirely 
wanting.  This  is  indicated  by  the  conclusion  of 
the  verse. 

d)  The  priest's  procedure.  1)  The  adjuration  or  ad- 
ministering the  oath,  vers.  16-22.  The  first  eflScacy 


lies  in  the  slow  deliberateness  and  formality  of  the 
solemn  procedure,  by  which  time  is  allowed  to  the 
woman  lor  awakening,  for  confession.  One  may 
regard  it  as  correct  when  the  Talmud  informs  us: 
did  she  submit  to  confess,  then  her  marriage  letter 
[kethuba)  was  destroyed,  by  which  she  lost  what 
her  husband  promised  her  at  their  marriage,  but 
otherwise  she  departed  without  punishment. 
[How  reconcile  this  with  Lev.  xx.  10,  according 
to  which  an  adulteress  must  suffer  death  ?  Keil 
judiciously  states  that  "nothing  is  said  about 
what  was  to  be  done"  in  case  of  implied  c^n Ces- 
sion.—  I'r.]  Therefore  the  priest  placed  her  oe- 
fore  the  Lor<l  at  the  altar  of  burnt-offering.  In 
a  mean  earthen  vessel  he  dipped  holy  ^A?•ater 
(wash-water  of  the  fore-court?  [see  Tianslaiur's 
note  below])  such  as  served  for  sacred  uses  in 
the  Temple  [Tabernacle],  and  put  into  it  dust 
from  the  floor  of  the  Temple,  yet  that  means  a 
sacred  dust,  so  reckoned  along  with  the  Temple, 
which,  just  as  the  water,  must  imbue  with  sacred 
dread  a  conscience  sensible  of  guilt.  Then  the 
w^omau'shead  is  uncovered  ;  she  stands  with 
flowing  hair,  not  already  as  a  great  sinner,  but 
as  one  provisorily  shorn  of  her  dignity,  forsaken 
of  her  husband  and  all  the  world,  whom  one, 
moreover,  may  look  in  the  eyes,  and  now  the  of- 
fering of  rebuke  is  laid  in  her  hands.  She  must 
hold  it  so  a  long  while;  the  trembling  hand  of 
one  conscious  of  guilt  would  readily  let  ii  fill. 
1)  Then  follows  the  administration  of  the 
oath. — In  very  definite  and  drastic  terms  in  lo- 
cence  and  guilt  are  distinguished,  and  it  is  an- 
nounced to  her  that  the  hypotheiically  bitter 
(see  ver.  27)  and  cursing  water,  which  she 
must  now  drink,  will  do  her  no  harm  in  case  she 
is  innocent,  but  that  it  will  do  her  harm  in  case 
she  is  guilty.  Before  the  hypothetical  announce- 
ment of  the  curse,  is  again  intimated  a  pause  full 
of  anxiety,  according  to  the  words:  "has  any 
man  lain  with  thee  besides  thy  husband?"  Then 
follows  the  awful  formula  of  the  oath,  which,  in 
case  she  is  guilty,  loads  with  a  curse  on  the  one 
hand  her  memory  among  the  nation,  and  on  the 
other  her  body,  her  female  organization,  with 
which  she  has  sinned.  Thereupon  she  must  de- 
clare her  readiness  to  drink  the  water  with  the 
words  amen,  amen,  by  which  she  makes  the 
oath  her  own.  ["  Some  think  the  Amen  being 
doubled,  respects  both  parts  of  the  adjuration, 
both  that  which  freed  her  if  innocent,  and  that 
which  condemned  her  if  guilty."  M.  Henrt. — 
Tr.].  Another  pause.  The  priest  writes  the 
curse  or  form  of  oath  on  a  tablet,  and  wUh  the 
bitter  water  washes  off  the  writing,  so  that  she 
must  in  a  symbolical  way  drink  the  very  formula 
of  oath.  She  drinks  some  of  the  water.  S)  Now 
the  priest  completes  the  offering,  and  only  after 
that  she  drinks  all  the  water. 

One  must  not  mend  this  representation  by  con- 
densation, since  just  its  slow  movement,  with 
pauses,  portrays  the  psychological  intent  of  the 
action. 

In  regard  to  the  corporeal  side  of  the  curse,  it 
is  indeed  assumed  that  the  effect  will  begin  to 
appear  at  once,  but  not  that  it  will  at  once  be 
completed;  a  myth  of  the  Talmud  that  negative 
criticism  eagerly  appropriates.  It  has  been  sup- 
posed that  the  threatened  sickness  was  dropsy 
of  the  ovary,  or  else  dropsy  in  general  (see  KeiIi 


38 


NUMBERS. 


in  loc,  Knobel,  p.  23).  Evidently  a  disease  of 
females  is  meant,  such  as  answers  for  a  punish- 
ment of  a  sexual  sin,  and  it  is  certain  that  even 
an  inferior  agitation  of  spirit  in  a  woman  can 
have  such  consequences.  It  is  not  easy  to  ima- 
gine how  the  "incorporated"  curse,  that  Keil 
assumes,  and  which  Oehler  (Herzog,  R.-Enc. 
XIX.  p.  474)  would  have  only  to  be  completed  by 
ethical  ingredients,  can  be  transformed  into  a 
blessing  in  the  body  of  the  innocent  woman.  As 
an  apologetical  analogy  for  a  dogma,  this  ana- 
logj'  is  very  far-fetched,  unless  one  would  affirm 
that  in  conjunction  with  the  agitation  accompa- 
nying the  consciousness  of  guilt  the  bitter  water 
itself  must  become  poison  to  the  woman  that 
draak  it. 

But  it  must  be  specially  noticed  that  the  inno- 
cent and  yet  sorely-tried  woman  could,  in  this  situ- 
ation, rise  to  a  very  exaltation  of  trust  in  God. 
Standing  there  with  her  loosened  hair,  she  must 
become  to  her  husband  the  object  of  utmost  com- 
passion. Were  there  added  to  (hat  the  appearance 
of  a  joyous,  heroic  courage,  the  tables  would  be 
turned  ;  she  triumphed  over  the  husband.  Hence 
nothing  more  was  to  be  done  to  the  man,  when 
innocence  had  celebrated  its  victory  over  him. 
His  jealousy  was  punished  by  being  openly  put 
to  shame,  and  he  must  acknowledge  her  agiin  as 
his  married  wife,  whereas  marriage  intercourse 
was  legally  prohibited  during  his  suspicion  (ac- 
cording to  SoTA  i.  3,  "hindered  by  watching 
him!")  The  innocent  wife,  on  the  other  hand, 
receives  notice  of  a  blessing  (ver.  28),  which  on 
her  part,  also,  is  psychologically  well-founded, 
which,  however,  the  Talmud  represents  in  an 
untrue  fashion.  The  Gamara  adds  :  ''if  previously 
her  births  were  hard,  afterwards  they  were  easy: 
had  she  daughters  before,  she  afterwards  i-eceives 
sons." 

It  is  an  abstract  procedure  of  supra-naturalism 
when  one  would  eliminate  from  this  law  of  jeal- 
ousy the  psychological  and  ethical  ingredients. 
It  has  indeed  a  human  relationship  with  the  or- 
deals of  the  middle  ages,  but  these  have  on  their 
part  also  a  relationship  to  the  theocratic  faith 
of  revelation,  on  whose  summit  appears  this  sig- 
nificant, divine  ordinance,  testifying  as  it  does  to 
wonderful  wisdom  and  acquaintance  with  the 
heart.  The  New  Testament  aspect  of  the  matter 
is,  that  the  woman  threatened  with  fearful  ven- 
geance ia  taken  under  the  protection  of  the  sanc- 


tuary, as  even  now-a-days  Christian  authorities 
now  and  then  take  under  their  protection  one 
threatened  with  Lynch-law  by  putting  him  in 
prison.  The  slow  deliberateness  of  the  proceed- 
ing may  also  serve  to  elucidate  the  fact  that  Christ 
wrote  on  the  ground  when  the  adulteress  was 
brought  before  Him.  Any  way.  He  brought  about 
a  great,  silent  pause. 

It  has  been  assumed  that  this  proceeding, 
which  from  the  very  first  was  hemmed  about 
with  many  limitations  (see  Oehler,  ibid.  p.  476), 
was  seldom  used,  and  that  later  it  was  abolished 
[ibid.).  But  one  could  wish  very  much  that  the 
moral  ideas  corresponding  to  this  typical  law 
might  everywhere  make  their  light  and  right 
prevail. 

[Ver.  17.  Holy  vyater.  "  Let  my  readers, 
however,  consider  whether  He  iloes  not  rather 
mean  the  water  in  which  the  ashes  of  the  red 
heifer  were  sprinkled,  and  whereby  solemn  puri- 
fications were  made  (Num.  xix.  1)."  Calvin. 
This  suggestion  does  not  deserve  to  be  ignored 
as  it  seems  to  be  by  all  later  commentaries.  See- 
ing the  varied  uses  to  which  that  water  was  put, 
it  would  naturally  be  the  next  to  be  thought  of 
for  the  present  purpose,  at  least  after  the  cere- 
mony of  the  red  heifer  was  once  instituted.  But 
the  record  of  the  latter  institution  being  given  in 
connection  with  events  occurring  on  the  subse- 
quent march,  is  not  proof  that  it  was  not  insti- 
tuted before  In  the  case  of  the  ordinances  in 
V.  1-10,  we  see  that  they  were  instituted  before. 

Ver.  28.   V^^   nj/ini,   "and  she  shall  be  sown 

-IT  T  :   :  •: 

with  seed."  The  nearest  meaning  of  the  words 
would  only  suggest  that  the  woman  is  to  receive 
from  her  husband  what  is  due  to  a  wife  (comp. 
Exod.  XX.  10 ;  1  Cor.  vii.  3).  The  phrase  may 
be  taken  as  the  expression  for  what  is  honorable, 
looking  toward  oifspring,  as  J!'y~r\2Dp  ver.  13, 
comp.  Lev.  xix.  20;  xv.  18,  refers  to  intercourse 


without  such   intent.     Comp. 
phi'ase  is  ot.  ^ey. — Tr.]. 


Nah.   i.  14.     The 


HOMILETICAL  HINTS. 
Chap.  V.  The  preservation  of  the  purity  of 
God's  army.  Jealousy  as  a  legal  suffering  and 
as  a  passion.  Jealousy,  an  obscure  witness  for 
the  exclusiveness  and  sanctity  of  marriage.  The 
power  of  conscience  ;  both  of  a  good  and  of  a  bad 
conscience. 


FIFTH    SECTION. 

The   Nazirite  in  God's  Army. 
Chapter  VT.  1-21. 

1,  2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  say  unto  them,  When  either  man  or  woman  '"shall   separate  themselves  to  vow 

3  a  vow  of  a  Nazarite,  to  separate  themselves  unto  the  Lord  ;  He  shall  separate 
himself  from  wine  and  strong  drink,  and  shall  drink  no  vinegar  of  wine,  or  vinegar 
of  strong  drink,  neither  shall  he  drink  any  "liquor  of  grapes,  nor  eat  <=moist  grapes, 

4  or  dried.     All  the  days  of  his  'separation  shall  he  eat  nothing  that  is  made  of  the 


CHAP.  VI.  1-21. 


39 


5  *vine  tree,  from  the  kernels  even  to  the  husk.  All  the  days  of  the  vow  of  his  ^sepa- 
ration there  shall  no  razor  come  upon  his  head  :  until  the  days  be  fulfilled,  in  the 
which  he  separateth  himself  unto  the  Lord,  he  shall  be  holy,  and  shall  let  the  locks 

6  of  the  hair  of  his  head  grow.     All  the  days  that  he  separateth  himself  unto  the 

7  Lord  he  shall  come  at  no  dead  body.  He  shall  not  make  himself  unclean  for  his 
father,  or  for  his  mother,  for  his  brother,  or  for  his  sister,  when  they  die  :  because 

8  the  ^consecration  of  his  God  is  upon  his  head.     All  the  days  of  his  separation  he 

9  is  holy  unto  the  Lord.  And  if  any  man  die  very  suddenly  by  him,  and  he  hath 
defiled  the  head  of  his  ^consecration  ;  then  he  shall  shave  his  head  in  the  day  of 

10  his  cleansing,  on  the  seventh  day  shall  he  shave  it.  And  on  the  eighth  day  he 
shall  bring  two  "^turtles,  or  two  young  pigeons,  to  the  priest,  to  the  door  of  the  Haber- 

11  uacle  of  the  congregation  :  And  the  priest  shall  oflfer  the  one  for  a  sin  offering, 
and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offering,  and  make  an  atonement  for  him,  for  that  he 

12  sinned  'by  the  dead,  and  shall  hallow  his  head  that  same  day.  And  he  shall  ^con- 
secrate  unto  the  Lord  the  days  of  his  '^separation,  and  shall  bring  a  lamb  of  the 
first  year  for  a  "trespass  offering :  but  the  days  that  were  before  shall  be  *lost, 
because  his  separation  was  defiled. 

13  And  this  is  the  law  of  the  Nazarite:  when  the  days  of  his  separation  are  fulfilled, 

14  he  shall  be  brought  unto  the  door  of  the  ^tabernacle  of  the  congregation  :  And  he 
shall  offer  his  'offering  unto  the  Lord,  one  he  lamb  of  the  first  year  without  blem- 
ish for  a  burnt  offering,  and  one  ewe  lamb  of  the  first  year  without  blemish  for  a 

15  sin  offering,  and  one  ram  without  blemish  for  peace  offerings.  And  a  basket  of 
unleavened  bread,  cakes  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  and  wafers  of  unleavened 

16  bread  anointed  with  oil,  and  their  ''meat  offering,  and  their  drink  offerings.  And 
the  priest  shall  bring  them  before  the  Lord,  and  shall  offer  his  sin  offering,  and  his 

17  burnt  offering :  And  he  shall  offer  the  ram  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings  unto 
the  Lord,  with  the  basket  of  unleavened  bread  :  the  priest  shall  offer  also  his  ^meat 

18  offering,  and  his  drink  offering.  And  the  Nazarite  shall  shave  the  head  of  his 
^separation  at  the  door  of  the  *tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  shall  take  the 
hair  of  the  head  of  his  ^separation,  and  put  it  in  the  fire  which  is  under  the  sacri- 

19  fice  of  the  peace  offerings.  And  the  priest  shall  take  the  sodden  shoulder  of  t!ie 
ram,  and  one  unleavened  cake  out  of  the  basket,  and  one  unleavened  wafer,  and 
shall  put  them  upon  the  hands  of  the  Nazarite,  after  the  hair  of  his  ^separation  is 

20  shaven:  And  the  priest  shall  wave  them /or  a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord:  this 
is   holy  for   the  priest,   with    the    wave    breast  and  heave  'shoulder:  and  after 

21  that  the  Nazarite  may  drink  wine.  This  is  the  law  of  the  Nazarite  who  hath 
vowed,  and  of  his  'offering  unto  the  Lord  for  his  separation,  besides  that  that  his 
hand  shall  get :  according  to  the  vow  which  he  ""vowed,  so  he  must  do  after  the 
law  of  his  -separation. 


1  Or,  make  themselves  Nazarites. 

*  Heb.  separation. 

»  will  do  something  special  (great). 

*  turtle-doves. 

e  separate  again, 
k  meal-off ering. 


2  Or,  Nazariteship. 
5  neh  fall. 

^  must. 

"  Tent  of  Meeting. 
•>  guilt-offering. 
'  thigh. 


8  Heb.  vine  of  the  wine. 


«  fresh. 
f  on. 

•  oblation. 
"»  voweth. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  [Nazarite  should  ia  strictness  be  written 
Nazirite.  The  accepted  spelling  has  no  doubt 
prevailed  amongst  Christians  from  its  being  sup- 
posed that  this  vow  is  referred  to  in  Matt.  ii.  23. 
The  Bib.  Comm. — Tr.].  The  Nazirite,  too,  only 
attains  his  full  significance  by  his  relation  to  the 
army  of  God,  to  the  affairs  of  Jehovah's  kingdom. 
He  is  in  this  relation  the  counterpart  of  the  emu- 
lous warrior  ;  he  has  submitted  himself  to  a  spe- 
cial consecration  to  God,  and  therewith  to  death. 
Such  consecrations  occur  among  all  considerable 
nations  as  heroism  of  spontaneous  growth,  espe- 


cially among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  among 
Germans  and  Swiss,  and  not  only  in  the  shape 
of  heroes,  but  also  of  heroines.  To  this  class  be- 
long Kodrus,  Leonidas,  the  two  Decii  Mus  and 
many  others  of  later  date,  not  to  speak  of  heroic 
army  corps,  both  ancient  and  modern.  Hence 
the  Naziriteship,  may  not  be  regarded  as  an  ori- 
ginal, theocratic  institution,  any  more  than  the 
institutions  of  divorce,  of  the  oath,  and  similar 
things.  But  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  theocratic 
arrangement  which  consecrated  and  sanctified  a 
natural  disposition  and  tendency  to  heroic  self- 
sacrifice. 

The  Nazirite  is,  of  course,  related  to  the  priest, 
more  nearly  approached  to  the  priest,  as  also  the 


40 


NUMBERS. 


monk  in  Christian  times,  perhaps  also  in  respect 
to  particular  priestly  rights.  Indeed,  in  certain 
respects,  he  submits  to  a  stricter  law.  To  the 
priest  indulgence  in  wine  was  only  prohibited 
before  his  entering  on  a  sacred  ceremony  ;  to 
the  Nazirite  it  was  altogether  prohibited.  With 
respect  to  avoiding  uncleanness  from  contact  with 
the  dead,  he  was  even  raised  above  the  priest  and 
put  on  an  equality  with  the  high-priest.  Yet  he 
must  not  be  identified  with  the  ascetic  in  his  con- 
templative tendency,  as  is  done  by  Philo,  Oehler, 
Keil  and  others.  It  is  true  that  the  idea  of  uni- 
versal priesthood  appears  in  a  stronger  light  in 
the  Naziriteship,  possessing  as  it  did  equal  rank 
with  the  priesthood  in  many  things,  yet  mainly 
in  a  practical  direction;  although  on  the  other 
hand  the  former  with  their  vows  remind  us  of 
the  Nazirites.  Again  the  Nazirite  has  some  of 
the  characteristic  traits  of  the  prophet,  with 
whom,  also,  he  is  classed  by  Amos  ii.  11.  And 
thai  leads  to  the  inference  that  the  Nazirite  is 
always  raised  up  by  God  for  a  special  concern 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.  His  aim  is  not  spiritual 
contemplation,  or  it  would  not  be  made  so  pro- 
minent that  he  consecrates  himself  to  Jehovah 
in  a  special  sense  for  a  definite  time.     In  this 

sense  also  we  understand  the  X732  ver.  2.  Hence 
the  prophetic  spirit,  under  the  direction  of  the 
spirit  of  revelation,  might  also  call  forth  life-long 
Naziriteships,  pronouncing  a  special  consecration 
to  God  over  children  not  yet  born.  But  such 
cases  were,  (hen,  no  arbitrary  determinations  of 
the  future  of  the  child  on  the  part  of  the  parents, 
such  as  occurred  often  in  the  middle  ages,  and 
made  miserable  the  monks  Gottschalk  and  Ulrich 
von  Hutten.  They  were  prophetic  prognostica- 
tions which  the  event  justified,  e.  g.  the  times  of 
Samson,  Samuel  and  John  Baptist.  Every  one 
of  these  proves  that  the  Naziriteship  had  ever  a 
great  theocratic  purpose  ;  and  the  same  may  be 
said  of  the  Naziriteship  of  James  the  Little.  It 
only  needs  to  be  mentioned  that  in  the  Christian 
world  the  idea  of  the  Nazirite  was  changed  into 
a  morally  depraved  caricature  by  the  fourth 
monastic  vow,  but  which  as  such  also  revealed 
beside  a  demoniacal  power,  and  throws  great  sha- 
dows into  our  time. 

The  union  of  the  Naziriteship  with  practical 
purposes  appears  in  a  great  variety  of  waj's. 
Samson  was  little  disposed  to  contemplativeness  ; 
he  was  called  to  arouse  in  the  children  of  Israel 
the  consciousness  of  superiority  with  respect  to 
the  character  of  the  Philistines.  Thus,  too,  the 
Naziriteship  of  Paul,  to  which  he  was  moved  to 
submit  himself  by  the  counsel  of  the  Nazirite 
James  (Acts  xxi.  26),  had  a  definite  object,  also 
the  union  witti  four  other  Naziriies,  whose  ex- 
penses Paul  paid.  From  the  last  mentioned  fact 
it  appears,  that  the  expenses  of  Nazirites,  which 
consisted  especially  in  the  appropriate  ofi"eringi, 
might  for  poor  persons  be  paid  by  those  hav- 
ing means.  In  the  history  of  Paul  there  ap- 
pears already  a  very  dark  caricature  of  Nazi- 
riteship in  the  forty  men  that  had  taken  a  vow 
to  kill  him  (Acts  xxiii.  21).  The  appearance  of 
a  disposition  to  Naziriteship  appears  plainly  also 
in  the  history  of  Daniel  and  of  his  three  compa- 
nions (Dan.  i.  8),  and  not  less  in  the  history  of 
Judith  (chap.  ix.j.     In  the  times  of  the  Macca- 


bees, when  Israel  was  contending  with  heathen- 
ism, Naziriteship  again  made  itself  felt  (1  Mace, 
iii.  49).  ''  Under  Jannaeus  there  appeared  once 
a  band  of  three  hundred  Nazirites,"  Oehler. 
[See  on  all  the  points  treated  above  Smith's  Bib. 
Diet.,  Art.  Nazarite. — Tr. ]. 

According  to  Knobel,  this  law  of  the  Nazirite- 
ship did  not  belong  to  the  fundamental  laws  of 
the  theocracy.     But  why  not  ?     "  Especially  be- 
cause the  Naziriteship  was  not  enjoined,  and  not 
even  recommended,  but  only  permitted,  yet,  of 
course,  when  once  undertaken   it  must  conform 
to  definite  rules."     According  to  that  criterion, 
how  many  ordinances   must  be   dropped  out  of 
the  fundamental  laws  of  the  theocracy  !     Even  of 
the  sacrifices,  as  has  been   remarked   already,  it 
is  said  that  they  were  not  originally  commanded 
by  Jehovah,  but  were  only  taken  under  control 
and  care,  theocratically  sanctified  (Jer.  vii.  22  ; 
Amos  V.    25).     The  literature   relating   to    this 
matter  is  given  by  Knobel,  p.  25;   Keil,  p.  213. 
Compare  also  Oehler's  article  Nazir'dat  in  Hek- 
zoq's  R.-Ene.     The  notices   of  the  deliverances 
of  the  Talmud,  and  also  the  divergence  of  theo- 
logical interpretations  in  regard  to  this  subject, 
give  undeniable  indications  of  how   the  funda- 
mental idea  of  the  Naziriteship  has  become  ob- 
scured.    Here  is  to  be  considered,  too,  the  view 
that  would  derive  the  Naziriteship  from  foreign 
parts,  especially  from  Egypt  (Spencer,    Micha- 
ELis,  S.  Oehler,  p.  206).     The  general,  human 
substratum  of  the   Naziriteship  is  heroism.     The 
culminating  points  are:   1)  the  absolute  prohibi- 
tion to  use  wine,  as  the  negative   side  of  Nazi- 
riteship.    2)     The  entire    preservation    of    and 
keeping  pure  the  hair  of  the  head,  to  which   be- 
longs also  the  injunction  strictly  to  avoid    conta- 
mination from  a  dead  body,  or  atonement  in  case 
such  contamination  be  incurred.     3)   The  extra- 
ordinary festive  sacrifice  to  be  offered  at  the  ex- 
piration of  the  period  of  Naziriteship. 

1.  The  Nazirite,  ver.  2.  Man  or  woman 
might  voluntarily  determine  to  be  such.  Only 
the  vow  of  a  woman,  that  was  dependent  on  her 
father  or  on  her  husband,  was  conditioneil  on  the 
acquiescence  of  the  masculine  head.  [For  the 
statement  concerning  woman's  vows  there  is  the 
authority  of  chap.  xxx.  But  there  is  only  pro- 
bable inference  for  the  statement  concerning  ser- 
vants. See  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.,  art  Vows. — Tr.]. 
The  same  obtained  in  the  case  of  vows  of  ser- 
vants. The  theocratic  vow  of  parents  regarding 
a  child  was  occasioned  by  the  spirit  of  revelation, 
as  in  Samson's  case,  whose  mother  was  com- 
manded to  practise  abstinence  even  until  his 
birth  (Judg.  j.iii.) ;  or  at  least  it  was  sanctioned 
by  this  spirit,  as  in  the  case  of  Samuel,  and  thus 
rested  on  prophetic  prognosis.  Such  a  vow, 
therefore,  abrogated  the  law  of  voluntariness  as 
little  as  docs  infant  baptism. 

2.  He  shall  separate  himself  from  wine, 
etc.,  vers,  -'j,  4.  Tlie  primary  obj'ict  of  this  pro- 
hibition is  already  intimated  in  the  history  of 
Aaron's  sons  who  were  destroyed.  Theocratic 
enthusiasm  must  as  strictly  as  possible  be  pre- 
served pure  from  all  disturbance  by  the  spirit  of 
drunkenness.  Hence  the  prohibition  not  only 
of  wine  and  of  all  spirituous,  strong  drink,  not 
only  of  flat  wine,  wiue  or  other  vinegar,  but  even 


CHAP.  VI.  1-21. 


41 


of  grape  juice  just  expressed  (JT^E^D).  The  pro- 
hibition is  symbolically  intensified  and  completed 
by  forbidding  the  enjoyment  of  fresh  and  even 
of  dried  grapes  (raisins).  Keil's  notion  only 
obscures  the  simple,  fundamental  thought,  when 
he  says  that  the  prohibition  to  use  grapes  looks 
to  abstinence  from  all  deliciie  carnis  so  damaging 
tosanctification.  The  grape  confections  of  Hosea 
iii.  1  hardly  serve  to  prove  this. 

The  prince  of  the  Mohamedan  secret  sect, 
called  The  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain,  sent  forth 
his  assassins  to  the  terror  of  the  princes  and 
statesmen  whom  he  would  rob.  These  assassins 
had  also  consecrated  themselves  to  death,  and 
fortified  themselves  for  their  undertaking  by  in- 
dulging in  the  fearfully  intoxicating  hashish. 
From  this  word,  Sylvester  de  Sacy  derives  the 
designation  Assassins.  [See  Ckambers'  Encycl. 
articles  Hashish  and  Assassin. — Tr.].  So,  too, 
a  modern  conqueror  sought  to  render  his  brave 
Boldiers  still  braver  by  intoxication. 

The  mere  abstinence  from  the  use  of  wine  did 
not  of  itself  alone  make  a  Nazirite.  This  is 
proved  by  the  family  of  the  Rechabites  who 
formed  a  sort  of  hereditary  abstinence  society  in 
the  midst  of  Israel  (Jer.  xxxv.  G,  7),  according 
to  a  command  of  their  pairiarch  Jonadab.  The 
same  thing  occurred  now  and  then  in  the  Orient, 
and  finally  in  Mohammedanism  became  a  law  of 
world-wide  influence.  On  the  completion  of  his 
Naziriteship  the  Nazirite  might  again  drink  wine  ; 
a  proof  that  the  abstinence  was  sanctioned  only 
for  a  special  object. 

3).  Then  shall  no  razor  come  upon  his 
head,  etc.,  ver.  5.  Tlie  enthusiasm  of  the  Nazi- 
rite was  not  to  be  made  fanatic  by  the  use  of 
wine.  On  the  other  hand  the  consecrated  growth 
of  the  hair  was  to  serve  as  a  symbol  and  ani- 
mating sign  (seal)  of  the  strength  of  that  enthu- 
siasm. On  the  variovis  misconceptions  of  this 
symbol,  see  Keil,  p.  215.  A  sign  of  mourning, 
MiCHAELis.  A  sign  of  separation,  of  renouncing 
the  world  (monkishness),  Hengstenberg.  A 
sign  of  more  perfect  freedom,  Vitringa.  On  the 
contrary,  a  sign  of  dependence,  with  reference 
to  1  Cor.  xi.  3,  16,  Baumgarten.  "  Lev.  xxv.  5, 
11  gives  a  clue  to  the  proper  signification,  ac- 
cording to  which,  during  the  Sabbatic  and  Jubi- 
lee years,  the  grape-vines  were  not  pruned,  but 
suflFered  to  grow  luxuriant,  and  their  fruit  was 
not  gathered,  and  which  as  such  were  called  Na- 
zirites.  That  is,  the  consecration  of  the  vine  is 
accomplished  by  letting  its  whole  productive 
force  develop  unmolested,  and  by  exempting 
what  it  produced  from  profane  (?)  interference 
and  use.  In  like  manner,  the  free  growth  of  the 
Nazirite's  hair  is  the  symbol  of  strength  and  ful- 
ness of  life,"  etc.  The  afl"air,  however,  seems  to 
be  somewhat  different.  Not  every  bush  in  its 
strength  and  fulness  of  life  could  be  called  a  Na- 
zirite. But  the  vine  could  be  so-called,  because 
from  its  very  nature  it  was  the  symbol  of  inspi- 
ration and  joy  (.Jno.  xv.  11).  Thus  the  hair- 
growth  of  the  Nazirite  would  be  the  symbol  of  a 
higher  power  of  life,  of  an  inspiration  dedicated 
to  God.  And  this  complete  divine  dedication  of 
this  heroic  vigor  might  be  contaminated  and  de- 
prived of  its  vigor  ever  so  easily.  It  was  not 
noxious  either  to  vigor,  or  to  fulness  of  life,  or 


even  to  the  symbol  of  it,  the  long  growing  hair, 
when  they  came  into  the  contaminating  region 
of  a  dead  person  ;  but  with  this  divinely  conse- 
crated growth  of  hair  it  was  different.  Its  gleam, 
its  validity  vanished  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
dead.  For  the  consecrated  one  becomes  absorbed 
in  his  consecration  as  if  he  were  nothing  but  life 
itself,  and  knew  nothing  but  life.  The  siglit  of  a 
corpse  and  contemplation  of  it  can  translate  him 
into  the  sentiment  of  vulgar  reality,  and  the 
beautiful  faith  of  being  invincible  vanishes.  Thus 
the  undesecrated  hair  of  the  Nazirite's  heail,  the 
pledge  of  his  consecration  to  God,  which  is  at  the 

same  time  a  wreath,  a  diadem  ("^X-'.)  of  GoJ,  that 
God  has  placed  on  his  head,  a  wreath  of  victory 
put  on  him  in  advance, — that  is,  the  proper  sig- 
nature of  the  Nazirite.  The  divine  consecration 
to  God  must  be  regarded  by  the  theocrat  above 
all  else  as  a  consecratiou  from  God  (as  justifica- 
tion underlies  sanctification).  It  cannot  be  said 
that  this  symbolism  is  merely  conventional. 
When,  for  example,  Paul  says  (1  Cor.  xi.)  that 
the  woman  ought,  beside  her  uncut  hair,  to  have 
also  a  covering  on  her  head,  it  does  not  denote 
merely  her  dependence  on  the  man,  but  also  her 
womanly  dignify,  which  she  has  through  the 
man ;  she  is  the  66^a  of  the  man.  But  the  man 
must  neither  have  long  hair,  nor  cover  his  head 
while  he  prays,  because  a  direct,  spiritual  ray  of 
God  rests  on  his  head,  that  makes  him  appear  an 
image  to  God's  honor.  Because  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament this  is  absolutely  fulfilled,  the  symbol  of 
the  Naziriteship  is  laid  aside  for  him  (whereas 
the  woman  in  the  church  must  still  be  in  depend- 
ence on  the  man  for  the  sake  of  order).  On  the 
other  hand  the  symbol  still  obtains  in  the  Old 
Testament,  henoe  the  Jews  remain  covered  during 
worship,  and  hence  for  the  Nazirite  also  the  sym- 
bol of  letting  the  hair  grow,  also,  under  condi- 
tions, for  the  Israelites  generally  (see  Jer.  vii. 
29;  compare,  in  reference  to  the  priests.  Lev. 
xxi.  5).  This  significance  of  the  hair  of  the  head 
obtains  also  among  Gentile  nations,  see  Knobel, 
p.  29.  Perhaps  Absalom,  with  his  long  hair, 
meant  to  play  the  part  of  a  Nazirite  along  with 
his  other  demagogical  contrivances,  and  the  Jews 
have  regarded  him  as  a  Nazirite  (see  Oehler, 
p.  20(1). 

4.  The  period  of  the  vow.  According  to  ver.  6, 
this  is  entirely  indefinite.  It  depends  on  the 
self-determination  of  the  Nazirite.  The  later 
Rabbinical  limitation  :  the  shortest  time  is  thirty 
days,  springs  from  their  ignoring  the  original 
idea. 

5.  He  shall  come  at  no  dead  body,  and 
he  shall  not  defile  himself  by  funeral  usages.  On 
this  point  the  conditions  are  stricter  for  the  Na- 
zirite than  for  the  priest,  and,  as  has  been  already 
remarked,  he  standson  a  par  with  the  high  priest 
(see  Lev.  xxvii.  11).  But  it  may  happen  that  in 
an  unlocked  for  way  some  one  may  die  beside 
him,  in  his  immediate  proximity,  so  that  accord- 
ing to  Levitical  law,  he  becomes  unclean.  Then 
he  is  unclean  for  seven  days  (xix.  11,  14,  16; 
xxxi.  19),  and  moreover  the  consecration  of  his 
head  is  nullified.  "  The  defiled  hair  must  be  re- 
moved," says  Knobel,  "  since  it  especially  takes 
(!)  and  retains  (!)  such  uncleanness  (see  Lev. 
xiv.  8),  indeed,  at  the  expiration  of  the  Nazirite- 


42 


NUMBERS. 


ship,  it  could  not  be  offered  to  God."  See  the 
same  author  with  reference  to  a  similar  custom 
among  the  Syrians.  Ou  the  eighth  day  the  puri- 
fication of  the  Nazirite  is  accomplished  by  a  sac- 
rifice, as  in  the  case  of  other  acts  of  purification 
(see  Lev.  xv.),  by  a  pair  of  doves  as  a  sin-offer- 
ing and  burnt-offering,  to  which  is  added  a  Iamb 
of  a  year  old  as  a  guili-offeriug.  Kxobel  ex- 
plains the  guilt-offering  in  an  extraordinary  way 
p.  27) ;  by  his  heedlessness  the  time  is  protracted 
in  wliich  he  has  withdrawn  himself  from  his  duty 
to  his  family  by  his  idle  life.  Then  he  would 
have  had  to  bring  a  capital  guilt-offering  at  the 
expiration  of  his  Naziriteship.  The  fellowship 
of  death,  into  which  he  was  inadvertently  brought, 
was  a  communion  of  guilt ;  for  guilt  is  the  com- 
munion of  the  consequence  of  sin.  Since,  how- 
ever, the  Naziriteship  was  not  a  thing  to  be  car- 
ried out  piece-meal,  as  the  reading  of  a  breviary, 
the  days  so  far  accomplished  were  lost  (Heb. 
fall).  He  must  begin  over  again.  Hence  on 
the  seventh  day  he  must  shear  his  head;  the 
hair,  as  something  desecrated,  was  simply  cast 
away ;  according  to  tradition,  it  was  buried. 

In  the  case  of  a  lifelong  Naziriteship,  the  notion 
of  the  defilement  of  the  hair  seems  to  have  been 
disregarded,  e.  g.,  in  Samson's  case  (Oehler,  p. 
206).  We  will  not  enter  here  on  the  question, 
whether  Samson's  long  hair  was  properly  the 
"vehicle"  of  his  strength.  Anyway  the  growth 
of  the  hair  was  the  usual  symbol  of  a  Nazirite; 
but  the  symbol  in  conjunction  with  the  heart,  is 
never  mere  symbol,  but  a  vehicle,  though  an  ethi- 
cal acid  not  a  magical  one. 

6.  The  festival  offering  at  the  close.  It  is 
twice  called  the  law  of  the  Nazirite,  vers.  13, 
21,  and  it  is  assumed  that,  something  great  has 
been  performed.  One  he  lamb  for  a  burnt- 
offeiing;  one  ewe  lamb  for  a  sin  offering:  one 
ram  for  a  peace  offering  (ver.  14).  This  recalls 
the  great  peace  offering  at  the  priest's  consecra- 
tion (Lev.  ix.).  The  sin-offering  allows  us  to 
infer,  that  even  a  Naziriteship  is  not  carried  out 
without  shortcomings.  But  it  is  a  small  offering, 
and  only  follows  the  burnt-offering.  But  the  ram 
of  the  Nazirite  is  more  or  less  like  the  most  su- 
perior sacrifices.  '*  And  he  must  bring  a  basket 
of  unleavened  bread  of  wave  flour,  i.  e.,  with  un- 
leavened pastry  of  fine  wheat  flour,  expressly 
cakes  mixed  with  oil,  and  wafers  anointed  with 
oil  (see  Lev.  ii.  4),  and  their  meal  offering  and 
drink  offering,  i.  e.,  according  to  xv.  3  sqq.,  the 
oblations  of  meal,  cakes  and  wine  belonging  to 
the  burnt-offering  and  thank  offering,"  ver.  15. 

The  construction  of  ver.  lo  is  not  quite  clear, 
but  is  likely  to  be  construed  according  to  ver. 
16  (both  meal-offering  and  drink-offering).  Tlie 
most  myj-terious,  and  likely,  too,  the  most  im- 
portant ottering  is,  in  this  case,  the  hair  of  the 
Nazirite's  head  (ver.  18).  He  must  shear  or 
cut  it  himself,  and  then  cast  it  into  the  fire  that 
burns  under  the  peace-offering.  Thus  he  oft'ers 
his  hero-ornament  to  Jehovali  as  a  whole  sacri- 
fice; he  gives  the  Lokd  tlie  glory  for  the  beau- 
tiful work  accomplished. 

His  consecrated  hair  was  the  counterpart  of 
the  diadem  of  the  high-priest.  It  is  reflected 
in  the  most  various  forms;  in  waving  helmet 
plumes,  iron  crosses,  horse-tails,  eagle  feathers. 
But  these  adumbrations  of  heroism  are  seldom 


offered  quite  pure  to  Jehovah.  But  the  Nazirite 
gives  glory  to  God,  as  the  elders  of  the  Church 
triumphant  cast  down  their  crowns  before  the 
Lamb  (Rev.  iv.  10). 

The  repast  of  the  peace-ofl'ering  (ver.  19) 
concludes  all,  of  which  the  priest,  beside  the 
wave  breast  and  the  heave  thigh  and  two  cakes 
out  of  the  basket,  receives  the  shoulder  (the 
upper  part  of  the  fore  quarter).  According  to 
Keil,  this  signified  that  the  table  communion 
with  the  Lord,  shadowed  forth  in  the  repast  of 
the  peace-ofl'ering,  took  place  in  an  eminent 
degree.  But  the  peace-ofl'ering  meal,  as  has 
already  been  remarked,  is  a  meal  of  the  one 
making  the  offering,  in  which  Jehovah  takes 
part,  represented  by  His  priest.  Thus,  then, 
the  allowance  of  the  shoulder  says  that  the  Na- 
zirite can  give  more  of  what  he  enjoys  Jo  Jehovah 
than  common  sacrificers. 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  vow,  the  Nazirite 
could  drink  wine  again,  ver.  20. 

On  offerings  of  hair,  besides  those  mentioned 
in  the  Bible,  see  Oehler,  and  especially  Kno- 
BEL,  p.  29.  The  conventional  ingredient  in  the 
meaning  of  the  hair  appears  prominently  in  a 
war  of  the  Argives  with  the  Lacedaemonians. 
The  former  made  a  vow  to  cut  their  hair,  the 
latter  to  let-  their  hair  grow  (Weber,  Lehrbuch 
der  Weltgesch,  I.,  p.  145). 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

1.  [The  Nazirite  would  be  an  extraordinary 
servant  of  Jehovah,  a  devoted  hero  in  the  sphere 
of  divine  things,  i.  e.  of  religion.  The  scriptu- 
ral examples  of  Naziriteship  do  not  give  an 
instance  of  devotion  to  a  particular  deed.  They 
were  rather  with  reference  to  a  general  aim. 
The  inspiration  to  special  deeds  in  harmony 
with  their  consecration  came  to  them  in  the 
course  of  their  separation,  and  might  be  ex- 
pected so  to  come.  The  rules  of  abstinence, 
the  long  hair,  etc.,  marked  them  as  consecrated 
and  ready  for  extraordinary  duty.  The  service 
was  noble,  whether  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  Na- 
zirite actually  to  do  a  heroic  deed  or  not,  pro- 
vided only  the  condition  of  the  vow  were  strictly 
adhered  to.  During  the  wanderings,  men  or 
women  might  become  Nazirites  of  special  devo- 
tion to  the  hope  of  entering  the  promised  land, 
and  thus  of  the  earnest,  uncomplaining  pilgrim- 
age, following  hard  after  God  in  all  his  lead- 
ings. 

The  notion  of  something  extraordinary,  doing 
something  more  than  others,  is  mord  than  im- 
plied;  it  is  expressed  in  the  verb  \sl^\  ver.  2. 
For  it  does  not  appear  why  the  verb  s'hould  not 
have  the  meaning  actually  ascribed  to  it  else- 
where, excepting  where  used  in  connection  with 
vows.     Yet  in  Lev.  xxvii.  2  this  universal  sense 

is  allowed.  The  noun  nSs  is  always  rendered 
"wonderful  thing."  The  meaning  (rf"  ver.  2 
would  then  be:  When  a  man  or  woman  would 
do  something  extraordinary  by  vowing  a  Nazi- 
rite vow>  "  Si  inirandum  aliquis  facer  it.''  Mun- 
sfer  vers.  Facius. 

The  Lord  Jesus  sets  before  all  that  would  fol- 
low Him  the  ideal   of  Ihe   Nazarite   when    He 


CHAP.  VI.  22-27. 


43 


says:  "  What  do  ye  more  than  others?"  Matt. 
T.  47.  [Que  faites-vous  d extraordinaire?  French 
Tersion.  See  Vinet's  sermon  on  this  text  in 
his  Nouveaux  Discours,  etc.,  p.  128.) 

2.  Vera.  9-12.  "More  was  required  for  the 
purifying  of  the  Nazirite  than  of  any  other  per- 
son that  had  touched  a  dead  body.  This  teaches 
us,  that  sins  of  infirmity,  and  the  faults  we  are 
overtaken  in  by  surprise,  must  be  seriously 
repented  of,  and  that  an  application  must  be 
made  of  the  virtue  of  Christ's  sacrifice  to  our 
souls  for  the  forgiveness  of  them  every  day,  1 
John  ii.  1,  2.  It  teaches  us,  also,  that  if  those 
v?ho  make  an  eminent  profession  of  religion  do 
anything  to  sully  the  reputation  of  their  profes- 
sion, more  is  expected  from  them  than  others, 
for  the  retrieving  both  of  their  peace  and  of 
their  credit."   M.  Henry. 

3.  Vers.  13-21.  "And  when  the  Christian  is 
finishing  his  course  of  faith  and  holiness,  of 
8elf-denial  and  bearing  the  cross,  and  is  about 


to  close  his  eyes  in  death,  and  open  them  in  the 
realms  of  uninterrupted  joy;  he  will  still  ac- 
knowledge that  he  has  nothing  to  trust  to  but 
the  blood  of  Christ,  since  the  best  which  he  hath 
done  is  mixed  with  sin,  and  needs  forgiveness; 
he  will  give  glory  to  the  Lord  of  all  that  he 
hath  done  in  any  measure  well,  and  depart, 
perhaps,  with  joyful,  at  least  with  peaceful  ex- 
pectations for  the  future,  to  go  and  drink  the 
new  wine  of  the  kingdom  witlj  his  beloved  Re- 
deemer in  the  realms  of  bliss."  Scott. — Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  vi.  1-21.  The  Nazirite  a  type  of  Chris- 
tian self-denial.  The  theocratic  hero  a  type  of 
Christian  heroism.  Difference  between  the  free 
Naziriteship  and  the  unfree  mouasticisra.  The 
former  a  holy  form  related  to  a  holy  object. 
The  sombre  counterfeit  of  the  Naziriteship  (un- 
holy objects,  unholy  means). 


SIXTH  SECTION. 

The  Blessing  on   God's  Army. 
Chapter  VI.  22-27. 


22,  23     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  Aaron  and  unto  his 

sons,  saying.  On  this  wise  ye  shall  bless  the  children  of  Israel,  "saying  unto  them, 

24,  25  The  Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep  thee :  The  Lord  make  his  face  shine  upon  thee, 

26  and  be  gracious  unto  thee :  The  Lord  lift  up  his  countenance  upon  thee,  and  give 

27  thee  peace.     And  they  shall  put  my  name  upon  the  children  of  Israel,  and  I  will 
bless  them. 


say. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  Now  that  the  army  of  God  is  established  in 
every  respect,  the  next  thing  is  to  declare  its 
signature  and  destiny.  The  name  of  Jehovah 
shall  be  shed  over  it  as  the  brightness  of  the 
sun:  on  Jehovah's  part  this  name  shall  rest  on 
it;  on  its  part  it  shall  bear  this  name.  To  bear 
the  name  of  Jehovah,  the  revelation  of  the  cove- 
nant God' in  its  universal  historical  significance, 
and  bear  it  forth  into  the  world,  and  especially 
itselt  to  be  blessed  and  become  great  in  this 
name,  as  this  destination  was  already  intimated 
in  the  germ  in  the  name  of  Shem,  such  is  its 
great,  concentric,  exclusive  vocation,  toward 
which  all  its  wars  and  victories  should  point. 
See  Gen.  xii.  sqq.;  Isa.  xlii.  sqq.  Aaron  and 
his  sons  were  to  be  continuously  the  organs  of 
the  blessings  into  which  this  benediction  would 
develop. 

The  one  benediction  subdivides  into  three  chief 
blessings,  and  each  blessing  again  into  two 
members.  It  is  a  number  six,  that  becomes  in 
the  unity  of  the  name  Jehovah  the  number 
eeveo. 


2.  The  first  blessing  forms  not  only  the  gene- 
ral foundation  of  the  whole  benediction,  of  the 
entire  salvation  of  revelation,  but  is  at  the  same 
time  the  first  special  blessing.  Jehovah  bless 
thee,  i.  e.  direct  upon  thee  all  prosperity  in 
immeasurable  progression ;  and  keep  thee, 
i.  e.  ward  ofi"  every  curse,  all  adversity  from 
thee.  That  is  the  peace  of  the  gracious  provi- 
dence of  God,  according  to  its  two  aspects.  His 
positive  and  negative  governance. 

3.  In  the  second  blessing,  the  light  of 
Jehovah's  countenance  rises  on  Israel. 
On  the  meaning  of  His  countenance  see  the 
Bihle-work  on  Gen.  xii.  1-20,  ^  5,  and  the  related 
passages  in  Exodus.  The  effect  of  the  shining 
of  the  countenance  of  God,  which  Israel  was  the 
first  to  experience,  is  the  experience  of  His  re- 
demption that  blots  out  guilt.  His  grace. 

4.  The  third  blessing  might  appear  to  be  iden- 
tical with  the  second  were  one  to  take  the 
VJ3  ^'I'i  only  in  its  current  sense,  and  the  re- 
curring  ^wX  just  as  in  the  second  blessing. 
But,  according  to  the  progress  of  the  thought, 
the  countenance  of  Jehovah  rises  up  over  Israel 
in  kindness,  and  thence  sinks  deep  down  on  it; 


44 


NUMBERS. 


it  operates  penetratingly  as  the  sun  in  the  ze- 
nith. Hence  its  operation  manifests  itself  as 
peace,  and  if  one  take  the  D-lti'  in  its  full  signi- 
ficance, then  the  second  clause  says:  establish 
peace  for  thee,  peace  ^ar  excellence. 

Thus  if  the  name  of  God  is  laid  on  Israel 
from  above,  so,  too,  Israel  is  therewith  in  this 
name  raised  high  aloft. 

On  the  reference  of  this  wonderful  benedic- 
tion to  the  mystery  of  the  Trinity,  see  Keil. 
It  is  not  to  be  ignored,  that  the  number  three 
may  be  regarded  as  an  Old  Testament  form  of 
emphasis,  and  the  six  members  as  a  three-fold 
parallelism  of  members.  But  just  as  little  should 
one  ignore  that  the  three  economies  of  divine 
revelation  are  very  plainly  reflected  in  this 
benediction.  And  thus  it  forms  one  of  the  most 
glorious  of  the  typical  germs  of  New  Testament 
revelation  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Knobel  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  Elohist  cited 
the  Aaronic  blessing  already  in  Lev.  ix.  22. 
But  he  overlooks  the  distinction  between  bless- 
ing in  general  and  this  blessing. 

[And  they  shall  put  my  name,  etc.  Ver. 
27.  "  Hence  we  gather  that  whatsoever  the 
ministers  of  the  Church  do  by  God's  command 
is  ratified  by  Him  with  a  real  and  solid  result; 
Bince   He   declares   nothing   by    His    ministers 


which  He  will  not  Himself  fulfil  and  perform  by 
the  eflBcacy  of  His  Spirit.  But  we  must  observe 
that  He  does  not  so  transfer  the  office  of  bless- 
ing to  His  priests  as  to  resign  His  rights  to 
them  ;  for  after  having  entrusted  this  ministry 
to  them,  He  claims  the  accomplishment  of  the 
thing  for  Himself  alone."  Calvin. — Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  vi.  22-27.  The  Aaronic  Blessing.  A 
blessing  of  unity  [einhdtlicher  Segen)  for  the  peo- 
ple of  God  in  their  unity.  For  its  departure 
into  the  world.  The  three-foldness  of  the 
Aaronic  blessing  no  system,  but  a  germ  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  The  three  blessings 
singly.  Their  gradation.  The  Aaronic  blessing 
in  the  light  of  the  New  Testament.  The  six 
parts  of  the  three  parts  of  the  blessing  (bless, 
keep — making  the  face  shine,  be  gracious — let- 
ting down  the  countenance  on  thee  [by  the 
Spirit]  and  the  peace).  Thus  Jehovah  blesses 
His  own  Himself  by  His  servants.  All  blessing 
of  God  is  included  in  His  name,  in  His  revela- 
tion of  salvation.  The  name  of  God  is  to  be 
distinguished  from  His  being,  but  is  the  impress 
of  His  being  in  religious  contemplation.  The 
priest  is  to  bless ;  the  congregation  pronounces 
the  curse. 


SEVENTH  SECTION. 

Chaps.  VII.  VIII. 

The  Endowment  of  the  Tabernacle  as  the   Future   Centre  of  the  Army  of  God, 
the  Dwelling  of  Jehovah,  by  the  Oflfering  of  the  Princes. 

Chapter  VII.  1-89. 

1  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  day  that  Moses  had  *fully  set  up  the  tabernacle,  and 
had  anointed  it,  and  sanctified  it,  and  all  the  "instruments  thereof,  "both  the  altar 

2  and  all  the  vessels  thereof,  and  had  anointed  them,  and  sanctified  them ;  That  the 
princes  of  Israel,  heads  of  ""the  house  of  their  fathers,  *who  were  the  princes  of  the 

3  tribes,  ^*and  were  over  them  that  were  ^numbered,  offered  :  And  they  brought  their 
'offering  before  the  Lord,  six  covered  wagons,  and  twelve  oxen ;  a  wagon  for  two 
of  the  princes,  and  for  each  one  an  ox :  and  they  brought  them  before  the  taber- 

4,  5  nacle.  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Take  it  of  them,  that  they 
may  be  to  do  the  service  of  the  ^tabernacle  of  the  congregation ;  and  thou  shalt 

6  give  them  unto  the  Levites,  to  every  man  according  "to  his  service.     And  Moses 

7  took  the  wagons  and  the  oxen,  and  gave  them  unto  the  Levites.     Two  wagons  and 

8  four  oxen  he  gave  unto  the  sons  of  Gershon,  according  "to  their  service:  And  four 
wagons  and  eight  oxen  he  gave  unto  the  sons  of  Merari,  according  "unto  their  ser- 

9  vice,  under  the  hand  of  Ithamar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest.  But  unto  the  sons 
of  Kohath  he  gave  none :  because  the  service  of  the  sanctuary  'belonging  unto 
them  ^was  that  they  should  bear  upon  their  shoulders. 

10  And  the  princes  offered  'for  dedicating  of  the  altar  in   the  day  that  it  was 

11  anointed,  even  the  princes  offered  their  offering  before  the  altar.  And  the  Lord 
said  unto  Moses,  They  shall  offer  their  'offering,  each  prince  on  his  day,  for  the 
dedicating  of  the  altar. 


CHAP.  VII.  1-89.  45 


12  And  he  that  offered  his  'offering  the  first  day  was  Nahshon  the  son  of  Ammina- 

13  dab,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah :  And  his 'offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
whereof  ti'as  a  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after 
the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary ;  both  of  them  were  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil 

14,  15  for  a  "meat  offering:  One  "spoon  of  ten  shekels  of  gold,  full  of  incense:  One 

16  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  °of  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offex'ing:  One  ^kid 

17  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering:  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five 
rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  "of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  offering  of  Nahshon 
the  son  of  Amminadab. 

18  On  the  second  day  Nethaneel  the  son  of  Zuar,  prince  of  Issachar,  did  offer: 

19  He  offered  for  his  'offering  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  whereof  ivas  a  hundred 
and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 

20  tuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering :  One 

21  "spoon  of  gold  of  ten  shekels,  fnW  of  incense:  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one 

22  lamb  °of  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ^kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering: 

23  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs 
"of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  'offering  of  Nethaneel  the  sou  of  Zuar. 

24  On  the  third  day  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon,  prince  of  the  children  of  Zebulun,  did 

25  offer:  His  'offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  whereof  teas  a  "hundred  and 
thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary; 

26  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  ™meat  offering :  One  golden 

27  "spoon  often  shekels,  full  of  incense:  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  °of 

28  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ""kid  of  the   goats   for   a   sin  offering : 

29  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace-offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs 
"of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  ^offering  of  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon. 

30  On  the  fourth  day  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur,  prince  of  the  children  of  Keuben, 

31  did  offer :  His  'offering  was  one  silver  charger  of  the  weight  of  a  hundred  and  thirty 
shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary ;  both 

32  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering:  One  golden  "spoon 

33  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense :  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  "of  the  first 
34,  35  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ^kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering :  And  for  a 

sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  "of  the 
first  year :  this  ivas  the  'offering  of  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur. 

36  On  the  fifth  day  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zurishaddai,  prince  of  the  children  of 

37  Simeon,  did  offer :  His  'offering  ivas  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  whereof  ivas  a 
hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of 
the  sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering: 

38,  39  One  golden  "spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense :  One  young  bullock,  one  ram, 

40  one  lamb  of  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ^kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 

41  offering :  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats, 
five  lambs  "of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  'offering  of  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zuri- 
shaddai. 

42  On  the  sixth  day  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel,  prince  of  the  children  of  Gad, 

43  offered :  His  foffering  was  one  silver  charger  of  the  Aveight  of  a  hundred  and  thirty 
shekels,  a  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary :  both 

44  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering :  One  golden  "spoon 

45  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense :  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  "of  the  first 
46,  47  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ^kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering :  And  for  a 

sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  "of  the 
fii-st  year :  this  was  the  'offering  of  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel. 

48  On  the  seventh  day  Elishama  the  son  of  Aramihud,  prince  of  the  children  of 

49  Ephraim,  offered :  His  'offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  whereof  was  a 
hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of 
the  sanctuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering ; 


46  NUMBERS. 


50,  51  One  golden  "spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense :  One  young  bullock,  one  ram, 

52  one  lamb  °of  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ^kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 

53  offering:  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats, 
five  lambs  "of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  'offering  of  Elishama  the  son  of  Am- 
mihud. 

54  On  the  eighth  day  offered  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur,  prince  of  the  children 

55  of  Manasseh :  His  'offering  was  one  silver  charger  of  the  weight  of  a  hundred  and 
thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary: 

56  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  ""meat  offering :  One  golden 

57  "spoon  of  ten  shekels,  fiill  of  incense :  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  °of 

58  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One   "kid   of  the   goats   for   a   sin  offering : 

59  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  lambs 
°of  the  first  year  :  this  was  the  'offering  of  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur. 

60  On  the  ninth  day  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni,  prince  of  the  children  of  Benjamin, 

61  offered:  His  'offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  whereof  iras  a  hundred  and 
thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary : 

62  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering :  One  golden 

63  "spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense :  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  °of 

64  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ^kid  of  the  goats   for   a   sin   offering : 

65  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs 
"of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  'offering  of  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni. 

66  On  the  tenth  day  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai,  prince  of  the  children  of 

67  Dan,  offered :  His  'offering  tvas  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  whereof  was  a  hun- 
dred and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering : 

68,  69  One  golden  "spoon  often  shekels,  full  of  incense:  One  young  bullock,  one  ram, 

70  one  lamb°  of  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ^kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 

71  offering :  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats, 
five  lambs  °of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  'ofiering  of  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammi- 
shaddai. 

72  On  the  eleventh  day  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ocran,  prince  of  the  children  of  Asher, 

73  offered :  His  'offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  whereof  was  a  hundred 
and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 

74  tuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering :  One 

75  golden  "spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense :  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,   one 

76  lamb  "of  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  ^kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering : 

77  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs 
"of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  'offering  of  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ocran. 

78  On  the  twelfth  day  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan,  prince  of  the  children  of  Naphtali, 

79  offered:  His  'offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  whereof  ivas  a  hundred 
and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 

80  tuary :  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  "meat  offering :  One 

81  golden  "spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense :  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one 

82  lamb  "of  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering :  One  "kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering : 

83  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs 
°of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  'offering  of  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan. 

84  This  was  the  'dedication  of  the  altar,  in  the  day  when  it  was  anointed,  by  the 
princes  of  Israel :  twelve  chargers  of  silver,  twelve  silver  bowls,  twelve  "spoons  of 

85  gold :  Each  charger  of  silver  weighing  a  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  each  bowl 
seventy :  all  the  silver  vessels  weighed  two  thousand  and  four  hundred  shekels, 

86  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary:  The  golden  "spoons  were  twelve,  full  of  incense, 
weighing  ten  shekels  apiece,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary :  all  the  gold  of  the 

87  "spoons  was  a  hundred  and  twenty  shekels.  All  the  oxen  for  the  burnt  offering 
were  twelve  bullocks,  the  rams  twelve,  the  lambs  "of  the  first  year  twelve,  with 


CHAP.  VII.  1-89. 


47 


88  their  "meat  offering :  and  the  ^kids  of  the  goats  for  sin-offering  twelve.  And  all 
the  oxen  for  the  sacrifice  of  the  peace-offerings  were  twenty  and  four  bullocks,  the 
rams  sixty,  the  he-goats  sixty,  the  lambs  of  the  first  year  sixty.     This   was   the 

89  'dedication  of  the  altar,  after  that  it  was  anointed.  And  when  Moses  was  gone 
into  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  to  speak  with  ^him,  then  he  heard  the 
voice  ""of  one  speaking  unto  him  from  off  the  mercy  seat  that  ivas  upon  the  ark  of 
testimony,  from  between  the  two  cherubim :  and  he  spake  unto  him. 


1  Heb.  who  stood. 
■  finished  setting  vp. 


«  That  is,  God. 


*>  vessels. 
'  oblation.  "    «  Tent  of  Meeting. 

1  a  dedication-gift.  ™  meal-offering. 

V  he-goat.  4  omit  o/ one. 


«  and.  *  their  fathers''  houses. 

>»  to  the  proportion  of .  '  belonged. 

"  Oowl ;  saucer,  Bunsen,  Zunz. 


•  thesf. 


k  tliet)  bare. 
•  a  year  old. 


musterfd. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 

1.  In  this  section,  also,  we  have  not  to  do  with 
scattered  elements,  but  solely  with  the  furnish- 
ing of  the  Tabernacle  for  leading  the  campaign, 
viz.,  80  far  as  this  is  affected  by  the  otfering  of 
the  princes  of  the  tribe,  and  (in  chap,  viii.)  by 
the  ofBce  of  Moses,  the  functions  of  Aaron  and 
the  service  of  the  Levites. 

The  expression  on  the  day  that  Moses  J5n- 
ished  setting  up  the  tabernacle,  ver.  1,  must 
not  be  pressed,  as  if  the  gifts  of  the  princes  be- 
gan immediately  after  the  erection  of  the  Taber- 
nacle and  the  anointing  of  the  Sanc'uary  [see 
the  view  of  Keil  and  others  at  i.  1 — Tr.].  The 
actual  order,  according  to  which  the  gifts  of  the 
princes  follow  here,  must  also  have  its  founda- 
tion in  the  order  of  time.  Between  the  erection 
of  the  Tabernacle  on  the  first  day  of  the  first 
month  (Exod.  xl.  17)  and  the  beginning  of  the 
march  from  Sinai  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the 
second  month  (Num.  x.  11)  there  intervened  about 
fifty  days.  Of  these,  say,  ten  were  used  for  the 
anointings  and  consecration  of  the  priests,  at  the 
end,  say,  twenty  for  the  preparations  (viii. — x. 
10),  then  there  remain  still  twenty  days  for  the 
outline  of  legislation  that  lies  between,  especially 
as  the  numbering  of  the  people  fell  in  this  period 
only  in  respect  to  its  formal  conclusion.  Besides 
this,  there  is  no  necessity  to  force  a  literal  redac- 
tion into  this  period. 

2.  The  significance  of  this  whole  section  [in- 
cluding chap,  viii.]  appears  at  once  from  the  of- 
fering first  made' by  the  princes  in  common  :  six 
wagons  (see  more  particularly  in  Knobel  and 
Keil)  and  twelve  oxen.  Of  these,  Moses  gave 
two  wagons  [with  the  four  accompanying  oxen] 
to  the  Gersonites,  because  they  had  in  charge 
the  transportation  of  the  lighter  articles,  the  co- 
verings. To  the  Merarites  he  gave  four  wagons 
[and  eight  oxen]  because  they  must  transport 
the  heavy  planks  and  pillars.  The  Kohathites 
got  no  wagons,  because  they  were  to  carry  the 
holy  vessels,  the  actual  Sanctuary,  on  bearing- 
poles.  3^  r>lj;tMs  rendered  "state  carriages" 
by  the  LXX. ;  "freight  wagons"  by  the  Vul- 
o.\TE.  Knobel  says:  wagons  that  went  gently 
or  softly,  which  could  be  true  only  of  four-wheeled 
wagons,  whereas  Keil  says  two-wheeled  wagons. 

3.  Vers.  10-88.  Following  the  preceding  gift, 
the  princes  give  singly  their  offerings  for  the 
requirements  of  the  Tabernacle  itself,  but  all  of 
them  the  same  quota,  and  that  in  the  order  in 


which  they  were  named  at  the  numbering  of  the 
people.  The  particularization  of  the  gifts  is 
made  prominent  by  each  one  having  his  particu- 
lar day  for  making  his  offering.  The  offerings 
are  as  follows  : 

1)  A  silver  charger  of  130  shekels  weight ;  2) 
a  silver  bowl  (both  filled  with  sacrificial  flour  and 
oil  for  a  meal-offering) ;  3)  a  golden  paten  full 
of  incense  ;  4)  a  bullock,  a  ram,  a  male  sheep  of 
a  year  old  for  a  burnt-offering;  5)  a  mature  he- 
goat  for  a  sin-offering;  6)  two  oxen,  five  rams, 
five  young  he- goats,  and  five  male  sheep  a  year 
old  for  a  thank-offering.  The  adding  up  of  all 
the  offerings  follows  in  vers.  84-88.  The  sum  of 
all  the  silver  is  reckoned  at  2,400  shekels  ;  the 
sum  of  all  the  gold  at  120  shekels. 

["If  a  silver  shekel  be  taken,  roughly,  as 
weighing  2-5  of  a  shilling,  and  a  golden  s^hekel 
1-15  of  a  sovereign,  the  intrinsic  worth,  by  weight 
of  each  silver  charger  will  be  325s.,  of  each  bowl 
17Js.,  of  each  golden  spoon  230s.  Consequently 
the  aggregate  worth,  by  weight,  of  the  whole  of 
the  offerings  will  be  £438.  But  the  real  worth 
'of  such  a  sum,  when  measured  by  the  prices  of 
clothing  and  food  at  that  time,  must  have  been 
vastly  greater.  It  must  not  be  forgotten,  too, 
that  the  Tabernacle  ifsf  If  had  been  recently  con- 
structed at  a  vast  cost."     The  Bib.  Comm.  — Tr.]. 

The  gradual  presentation  of  these  ofi'erings, 
with  festive  pauses,  before  the  eyes  of  the  nation, 
served  not  merely  to  awaken  universal  sacrificial 
rejoicing;  the  nation  must  also  have  a  view  of 
the  glittering  treasures  which,  as  the  army  of 
God,  it  was  for  the  future  to  protect,  and  which 
were  so  much  the  more  valuable  to  it  because 
they  served  as  a  symbol  of  the  spiritual  treasures 
of  Israel,  and  for  the  mediation  of  those  treasures. 
[It  is  natural  to  inquire,  why  this  prolixity  in 
narrating  the  principal  transactions  of  this  chap- 
ter ?  For  substance  the  whole  is  told  in  vers. 
10,  11,  84-88.  Why  then  this  great  repetition? 
The  suggestions  of  Dr.  L.\nge  above  may  be  some 
explanation  of  the  immediate  effect  intended  by 
these  transactions,  which  it  is  conjectured.,  and 
no  doubt  correctly,  took  place  in  a  public  and 
solemn  way.  But  that  does  not  account  for  the 
manner  of  recording  the  transactions.  That  was 
written,  not  for  their  sakes  alone,  but  for  our 
learning,  that  we  through  patience  and  comfort 
of  the  scriptures  might  have  hope  (Rom.  iv.  23  ; 
XV.  4).  On  this  point  the  comment  of  M.  Henry 
represents  the  proper  view.  "God  appointed 
that  it  should  thus  be  done  on  several  days :  that 
an  equal  honor  might  thereby  be  put  on  each 
several  tribe ;  in  Aaron's  breast-plate   each  had 


48 


NUMBERS. 


his  precious  stone,  so  in  this  offering  each  had 
his  day.  All  their  oflerings  were  exactly  the 
same,  without  any  variation,  though  it  is  pro- 
bable that  neither  the  princes  nor  the  tribes  were 
all  alike  rich.  But  thus  it  was  intimated  that  all 
the  tribes  of  Israel  had  an  equal  share  in  the 
altar,  and  an  equal  interest  in  the  sacrifices  that 
were  offered  upon  it.  Though  one  tribe  was 
posted  more  honorably  in  the  camp  than  another, 
yel  they  and  their  services  were  all  alike  accept- 
able to  God.  Nor  must  we  have  the  faith  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  respect  to  persons,  Jas.  ii. 
1.  Though  the  offerings  were  all  the  same,  yet 
the  account  of  them  is  repeated  at  large  for  each 
tribe,  in  the  same  words.  We  are  sure  there  are 
no  vain  repetitions  in  scripture  ;  what  then  shall 
we  make  of  these  repetitions  ?  Might  it  not  have 
served,  to  say  of  this  noble  jury,  that  the  same 
offering  which  their  foreman  brought,  each  on 
his  day  brought  likewise?  No,  God  would  have 
it  specified  for  each  tribe.  And  why  so?  (1) 
It  was  for  the  encouragement  of  these  princes, 
and  of  their  respective  tribes,  that,  each  of  their 
offerings  being  recorded  at  large,  no  slight  might 
seem  to  be  put  upon  them;  for  rich  and  poor 
meet  together  before  God.  (2)  It  was  for  the 
encouragement  of  all  generous  acts  of  piety  and 
charity,  by  letting  us  know  that  what  is  given  is 
lent  to  the  Lord,  and  He  carefully  records  it, 
with  every  one's  name  prefixed  to  his  gift,  be- 
cause what  is  so  given  He  will  pay  again.  He 
is  not  unrighteous  to  forget  either  the  cost  or  the 
labor  of  love  ( Heb.  vi.  10).  We  find  Christ  taking 
particular  notice  of  what  was  cast  into  the  trea- 
sury (Mark  xii.  41)." 

We  have  thus  a  sample  of  sacred,  divine  book- 
keeping, whose  separate  lesson  is  that  God  is 
careful  in  all  dealings  with  His  people  down  to 
details  and  minutiae.  And  this  revelation  is  so 
comforting  that  we  must  not  grudge  the  large 
space  allowed  to  these  entries,  and  wish  that  they 
were  replaced  by  records  that  would  clear  up 
many  things  in  this  part  of  Scripture  that  are 
now  very  obscure. 

Moreover  this  chapter  may  be  appealed  to  in 
proof  of  the  genuineness  of  this  book.  A  later 
author  would  never  have  dreamed  of  composing 
such  a  record  as  this. — Tr.]. 

According  to  Keil,  all  these  sacrificial  beasts 
were  immediately  sacrificed  day  by  day  as  they 
were  presented.  "  And,  indeed,  not  as  provi- 
sion for  the  future,  but  for  immediate  consump- 
tion according  to  usage."  Keti,  seems  to  distin- 
guish   too    liitle  between    offering    and    killing. 

The  expression  '3''^p21_  applies   equally  well  to 

the  offerings  of  wagons  and  of  metallic  vessels. 
Such  an  aimless  consumption  of  so  valuable  a 
stock  of  animals  close  on  the  departure  of  the 
expedition  is  not  intimated  by  any  mention  of 
sacrificial  ceremony  in  the  narrower  sense.  More- 
over the  complete  consecration  of  the  altar  took 
place,  according  to  Lev.  ix.,  directly  after  the 
erection  of  the  Tabernacle.  The  expression 
niijn  ["  dedication-gift,"  vers.  10,  84,  88],  ac- 
cording to  the  verb  and  Ps.  xxx.  1,  does  not  so 
much  designate  the  first,  solemn  consecration, 
but  the  consecration  by  the  first  continuous  use. 
Were  the  one  hundred  oxen,  etc.,  that,  according 
to  Ezra  vi.  17,  served  for  the  consecration  of  the 


new  temple,  slaughtered  on  one  day  or  feast  ? 
This,  says  ver.  88,  is  the  dedication  of  the  altar 
after  it  had  been  anointed. 

4.  And  \vhen  Moses  w^as  gone  into  the 
Tent  of  Meeting,  ver.  89.  The  proper  soul  of 
the  Tabernacle  was  God's  spirit  of  revelation  as 
it  conversed  with  Moses,  and  through  him  made 
itself  known  to  the  people.  When  Moses 'went 
into  the  Tent  of  Meeting  (it  was  primarily  a 
tent  of  the  meeting  of  Jehovah  with  Moses)  to 
speak  vyith  Him  [i.  e.,  of  course  with  Jehovah 
who  was  there  enthroned).  The  discourse  of  Jeho- 
vah alternated  with  the  inquiries  and  petitions,  with 
the  prayer-life  of  the  prophet.  Then  he  heard 
the  voice  of  Him  that  made  Himself  speak 
("13T0  Hithp.   the   one   condescending   to    converse) 

•writh  him  from  off  the  mercy  seat. — There 

came  to  him  the  voice  of  revelation  from  off  the 
mercy-seat  that  was  on  the  ark  between  the  che- 
rubim. Keil  seems  to  assume  that  only  one  oc- 
currence is  spoken  of  here.  But  obviously  what 
is  spoken  of  is  the  form  of  revelation  that  ob- 
tained continually  during  the  expedition  of  the 
army. 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

[The  following  edifying  reflections  are  from 
M.  Henry,  whose  comments  often  most  sparkle 
with  wit  and  wisdom  from  above  where  others 
find  the  record  dry  as  a  ledger. 

On  ver.  2.  "Those  that  are  above  others  in 
power  and  dignity,  ought  to  go  before  others, 
and  endeavor  to  go  beyond  them,  in  everything 
that  is  good.  The  more  any  are  advanced,  the 
more  is  expected  from  them,  for  the  greater  op- 
portunity they  have  of  serving  God  and  their 
generation.  What  are  wealth  and  authority  good 
for,  but  as  they  enable  a  man  to  do  so  much  more 
good  in  the  world." 

"  No  sooner  is  the  Tabernacle  fully  set  up,  than 
this  provision  is  made  for  the  removal  of  it.  Note. 
Even  when  we  are  but  just  settled  in  the  world, 
and  think  we  are  beginning  to  take  root,  we  must 
be  preparing  for  changps  and  removes,  especially 
for  the  great  change.  When  we  are  here  in  this 
world,  everything  must  be  accommodated  to  a 
militant  and  moveable  state." 

On  vers.  7-9.  "  Observe  here,  how  God  wisely 
and  graciously  ordered  the  most  strength  to 
those  that  had  the  most  work.  Each  had  wagons 
according  to  their  service.  Whatever  burden  God 
in  His  providence  lays  upon  us.  He  will,  by  His 
sufficient  grace,  proportion  the  strength  to  it  (1 
Cor.  X.  13)." 

On  vers.  10-88.  "  They  brought  some  things 
to  remain  for  standing  service  ;  twelve  large  sil- 
ver dishes  and  as  many  large  silver  cups  or  bowls; 
the  former  to  be  used  for  the  meat-offerings,  the 
latter  for  the  drink-offerings;  the  former  for  the 
flesh  of  the  sacrifice,  the  latter  for  the  blood. 
The  latter  was  God's  table,  (as  it  were),  and  it 
was  fit,  that  so  great  a  King  should  be  served  in 
plate.— Note.  In  works  of  piety  and  charity,  we 
ought  to  be  generous  according  as  our  ability  is. 
The  Israelites  indeed  might  well  afford  to  part 
with  their  gold  and  silver  in  abundance  to  the 
services  of  the  sanctuary,  for  they  needed  it  not 
to  buy  meat,  and  victual  their  camp,  who  were 
daily  fed  with  bread  from  heaven ;  nor  did  they 


CHAP.  VIII.   1-26. 


49 


need  it  to  buy  bread,  or  pay  their  army,  who 
were  shortly  lo  be  put  in  possessioa  of  Canaaa." 

"They  brought  their  offerings  each  on  a  seve- 
ral day,  in  the  order  that  they  had  lately  been 
put  into,  so  that  the  solemnity  lasted  twelve  days. 
— Thus  it  would  be  done  more  decently  and  in 
order ;  God's  work  should  not  be  done  coufusedly, 
and  in  a  hurry  ;  take  time,  and  we  shall  have 
done  the  sooner,  or,  at  least,  we  shall  have  done 
the  better.  —  God  hereby  signified  how  much 
pleased  He  is,  and  bow  much  pleased  we  should 
be  with  the  exercises  of  piety  and  devotion.  The 
repetition  of  them  should  be  a  continual  pleasure 
to  us,  and  we  must  not  be  weary  of  well-doing. 
If  extraordinary  services  come  to  be  done  for 
twelve  days  together,  we  must  not  shrink  from 
it,  nor  call  it  a  task  and  burden." 

"Nahshon,  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
offered  first,  because  God  had  given  that  tribe 


the  first  post  of  honor  in  the  camp.  Judah,  of 
which  tribe  Christ  came,  first,  and  then  the  rest. 
Thus,  in  the  dedication  of  souls  to  God,  every 
man  is  presented  in  his  own  order,  Christ  the 
First-Fruils  (1  Cor.  xv.  23),"— Tr.]. 

HOMILETICA.L   HINTS. 

Chap,  vii.  The  gifts  (temple  tax)  of  the  princes. 
The  duty  of  the  princes  that  of  all  magnates  gen- 
erally. The  slow  procession  of  the  princes  with 
their  gifts — a  festal  contemplation  for  the  nation. 
An  example  for  all.  Silver  and  gold  are  the 
Lord's  (Hag.  ii.  9).  The  external  treasures  of 
the  Temple  commended  to  the  protection  of  the 
congregation.  An  iniage  of  the  spiritual  trea- 
sure of  the  Temple  that  is  entrusted  to  the  con- 
gregation, and  lor  which  it  must  pledge  its  life 
(word,  sacrament  and  confession). 


The  office  of  Moses ;  the  functions  of  Aaron  ;  and  the  service  of  the  Levites. 

Chapter  VIII.  1-26. 

1,  2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  Aaron,  and  say  unto  him, 
When  thou  "lightest  the  lamps,  the  seven  lamps  shall  give  light  ""over  against  the 

3  candlestick.     And  Aaron  did  so  ;  he  "lighted  the  lamps  thereof  'over  against  the 

4  candlestick,  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.  And  ''this  work  of  the  candlestick 
was  of  ^beaten  gold  ;  'unto  the  shaft  thereof,  unto  the  flowers  thereof,  was  ^beaten 
work  :  according  unto  the  ^pattern  which  the  Lord  had  shewed  Moses,  so  he  made 
the  candlestick. 

5,  6     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Take  the  Levites  from  among  the 

7  children  of  Israel,  and  cleanse  them.  And  thus  shalt  thou  do  unto  them,  to  clean.se 
them :  Sprinkle  ''water  of  purifying  upon  them,  and  4et  them  shave  all  their  flesh, 

8  and  let  them  wash  their  clothes,  and  so  make  themselves  clean.  Then  let  them 
take  a  young  bullock  with  his  ^meat  offering,  even  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  and 

9  another  young  bullock  shalt  thou  take  for  a  sin  offering.  And  thou  shalt  bring 
the  Levites  before  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation :  and  thou  shalt  gather  the 

10  whole  "assembly  of  the  children  of  Israel  together.  And  thou  shalt  bring  the  Le- 
vites before  the  Lord  :  and  the  children  of  Israel  shall  °put  their  hands  upon  the 

11  Levites  :     And  Aaron  shall  'offer  the  Levites  before  the  Lord /or  ^aa  offering  "of 

12  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  ^may  execute  the  service  of  the  Lord.  And  the 
Levites  shall  lay  their  hands  upon  the  heads  of  the  bullocks :  and  thou  shalt  offer 
the  one  for  a  sin  offering,  and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offering,  unto  the  Lord,  to 

13  make  an  atonement  for  the  Levites.     And  thou  shalt  set  the  Levites  before  Aaron, 

14  and  before  his  sons,  and  "offer  them  for  ^an  offering  unto  the  Lord.  Thus  shalt 
thou  separate  the  Levites  from  among  the  children  of  Israel :  and  the  Levites  shall 

15  be  mine.  And  after  that  shall  the  Levites  go  in  to  do  the  service  of  the  'tabernacle 
of  the  congregation :  and  thou  shalt  cleanse  them,  and  \)ffer  them  for  \n  offering. 

16  For  they  are  wholly  given  unto  me  from  among  the  children  of  Israel ;  instead  ^of 
such  as  open  every  womb,  even  instead  o/the  firstborn  of  all  the  children  of  Israel, 

17  have  I  taken  them  unto  me.  For  all  the  firstborn  of  the  children  of  Israel  are 
mine,  both  man  and  beast :  on  the  day  that  I  smote  every  firstborn  in  the  land  of 

18  Egypt  I  sanctified  them  for  myself     And  I  have  taken  the  Levites  'for  all  the 


60 


NUMBERS. 


19  firstborn  of  the  children  of  Israel.  And  I  have  given  the  Levites  as  a  ^gift  to 
Aaron  and  to  his  sous  from  among  the  children  of  Israel,  to  do  the  service  of  the 
children  of  Israel  in  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  the  children  of  Israel :  that  there  be  no  plague  among  the  children  of 

20  Israel,  when  the  children  of  Israel  come  nigh  unto  the  sanctuary.  And  Moses,  and 
Aaron,  and  all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  did  to  the  Levites  accord- 
ing unto  all  that  the  Lord  commanded  Moses  concerning  the  Levites,  so  did  the 

21  children  of  Israel  unto  them.  And  the  Levites  ''were  purified,  and  they  washed 
their  clothes  ;  and  Aaron  "  offered  them  as  an  ^offering  before  the  Lord  ;  and  Aaron 

22  made  an  atonement  for  them  to  cleanse  them.  And  after  that  went  the  Levites  in 
to  do  their  service  in  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation  before  Aaron,  and  before 
his  sons :  as  the  Lord  had  commanded  Moses  concerning  the  Levites,  so  did  they 
unto  them. 

23, 24  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  This  is  it  that  helongeih  unto  the 
Levites  :  from  twenty  and  five  years  old  and  upward  they  shall  'go  in  ®to  wait  upon 

25  the  service  of  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation  :  And  from  the  age  of  fifty  years 

26  they  shall  "cease  waiting  upon  the  service  thereof,  and  shall  serve  no  more  :  But 
shall  minister  with  their  brethren  in  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  to 
keep  the  charge,  and  shall  do  no  service.  Thus  shalt  thou  do  unto  the  Levites 
touching  their  charge. 


1  Heb.  let  them  cause  a,  razor  to  pass  over,  etc. 

*  Heb.  wave  offering. 

*  Heb.  gioen. 

^  Heb.  return  from  the  tvarfare  of  the  service. 


2  Heb.  wave. 

*  Heb.  the}/  may  he  to  execute,  etc. 

6  Heb.  to  war  the  warfare  of,  etc. 


»  sette.tt  up. 

d  this  was  the  work,  omitioas  of. 

t  vision;  imag-e,  Bunskn:  form,  Zunz. 

1  Tent  of  Meeting. 

•  from  among. 

1  instead  of. 

'  enter  into  the  row  of  the. 


•>  in  front  of. 

«  turned,  or  solid. 

*  sin-water ;  atoning-water,  Bunsen. 

™  congregation. 

P  of  every  first-birth  that  breaks  the  womh^etc. 

'  purified  themselves. 

'  go  out  of  the  row  of  the. 


«  setl  up. 

f  from  the  foot  to  the  flower. 

^  meat-offering. 
»  lay. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


[Ver.  7.  nnwn  for  nntSn  see  Green,  §  68, 1  a,  121,  3.    Comp.  2  Chron,  xxx.  18. 
Ver.ie.  S^'^'i'DS  for  Ilja-^'D,  comp.  iii.  13.— Te.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  Speak  unto  Aaron,  etc.,  vers.  1-4.  The 
most,  important  function  of  the  high-priest  at  the 
head  of  the  military  expedition  of  God's  people 
appears  here  to  be  that  he  shall  provide  well  for 
the  candlestick  of  the  Tabei'nacle,  and  so  set  the 
lights  that  they  shall  all  shine  forwards  from  the 
candlestick.  Herewith  the  chronicler  finds  it 
not  superfluous  to  lay  stress  again  upon  the  fact, 
that  the  candlestick  was  made  of  gold,  that  it 
was  of  solid  gold  and  was  entirely  conformed  to 
the  vision  of  Mo.sea  on  the  mountain.  Every 
word  is  a  condemnation  of  the  pretended  middle- 
age  of  Aaron.  See  the  comments  on  Exod.  xxv. 
31-40. 

2.  Take  the  Levites  from  among  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  etc.,  vers.  5-25.  The  Levites  are 
set  apart  as  a  body  of  Fervants  for  the  Tabernacle. 
In  regard  to  their  installation  :  a.  they  are  puri- 
fied according  to  an  intensified  conception  of 
Levilical  purity,  but  not  panctified  after  the 
manner  of  the  priests.  The  purification  takes 
place  in  three  acts.  First:  Sprinkling  with  sin- 
water.  For  various  explanations  of  what  water 
is  meant  see  Kkil,  in  loc.  [The  water  mixed 
with  ashes  of  the  red  heifer.  Num.  xix.,  Lyra, 
EsTius,   Ainsworth;    see  on  v.    17. — Ta.].      It 


was  probably  water  mingled  with  the  ashes  of 
the  sin-olfering  (Lev.  iii.  12),  an  anticipation  of 
the  later  ritual  water  of  purification  (Num.  xix.). 
Second:  Shearing  the  hair,  and  indeed  that  of  the 
whole  body.  Yet  it  is  not  meant  that  they  should 
make  themselves  bald  as  in  the  case  of  lepers ; 
but  only  a  cropping  is  meant,  whereby  also  the 
notion  is  limited  with  respect  to  the  body. 
Third:  Washing  the  clothes,  b.  The  consecra- 
tion sacrifice.  Two  bullocks  are  destined  for 
the  sacrifice  ;  one  for  a  burnt-oifering  combined 
with  a  meal-ofi'ering,  the  other  for  a  sin-offering. 
Next  the  Levites  are  placed  before  the  Taber- 
nacle amid  the  assembly  of  the  whole  congrega- 
tion. The  children  of  Israel  (Keil  says,  only 
the  princes  of  the  tribes  ?)  lay  their  hands  on 
them,  for  they  are  to  represent  the  congregation. 
c.  But  Aaron  was  to  wave  them  from  the  children  of 
Israel  [ver.  11].  Here  the  notion  of  leaving  be- 
comes especially  clear ;  by  a  symbolical  act  they 
are  severed  from  the  congregation,  shaken  loose, 
so  to  speak.  Keil  supposes  that  Aaron  in  a 
solemn  way  led  the  Levites  up  to  the  altar  and 
then  back.  But  this  would  have  been  no  suffi- 
cient symbolism  of  the  thought.  If  the  assembly 
of  the  people  stood  opposite  them,  then  the  Le- 
vites were  alternately  led  to  it  and  then  again 
led  back  from  it,  of  course  in  the  direction  of 
the   altar   of  burnt-offering  (vers.  11,  13,  14). 


CHAP.  IX.  1-14. 


61 


["  Most  likely  Aaron  pointed  to  the  Levites,  and 
then  waved  his  bands  as  in  ordinary  cases  of 
making  this  offering.  The  multitude  of  the 
Levites  seems  to  preclude  the  other  modes  sug- 
gested."    The  Bib.  (7o7nm.— Tr.]. 

Then  follows  the  sacrificial  act  of  the  Levites, 
and  after  that  they  are  given  over  to  Aaron  as  a 
staff  of  servants,  with  which  the  waving  is  once 
more  mentioned,  as  if  their  dissolution  from  the 
people  and  their  consecration  for  Aaron  were  to 
be  distinguished.  Next  follows  a  repeated  ex- 
planation concerning  the  destination  of  the 
Levites  to  represent  the  first-born  of  the  nation 
in  the  service  of  .lehovah  (vers.  15-19,  comp.  iv. 
4-33).  Jehovah  had  acquired  the  first-born  for 
Himself  by  sparing  the  first-born  in  Egypt.  He 
exchanged  the  Levite  for  them;  but  these,  the 
Levites  in  the  narrower  sense  He  in  turn  gave  to 
Aaron  and  his  sons,  to  attend  the  service  of  the 
Sanctuary,  which,  properly,  the  children  of  Is- 
rael had  to  care  for.     By  this  representation  they 

constitute  an  atonement   (1337)    for  the  children 

of  Israel  in  as  far  as  the  latter  would  thus  be 
restrained  from  coming  too  near  to  the  Sanctuary, 
which  would  be  followed  by  a  calamity.  It  is 
furthermore  narrated  that  the  prescribed  acts 
of  consecration  took  place,  and  that  thereupon 
the  Levites  entered  in,  i.  e. ,  not  into  the  Temple 
[Tabernacle],  but  into  their  service  in  the  fore 
court.  [Ver.  19.  "It  is  a  very  great  kindness 
to  the  Church,  that  ministers  are  appointed  to 
go  before  them  in  the  things  of  God,  as  guides, 
overseers  and  rulers  in  religious  worship,  and 
to  make  that  their  business.  When  Christ  as- 
cended on  high  He  gave  these  gifts.  Eph.  iv.,  8, 
11,  12."   M.  Henry.— Tr  ] 

3.  This  is  it  that  belongeth  unto  the 
Levites.  etc.,  vers.  23-26.  Here  are  given  sup- 
plementary limitations  of  the  Levitical  term  of 
service.  "  From  twenty-five  years  of  age  to  fifty 
they  are  fit  for  going  forth  as  a  military  expedition 
in  the  service  of  the  Tabernacle.  After  this 
period  they  are  exempt  from  this  service ;  yet 
they  are  to  remain  as  helps  to  the  Levites  in 
discharging  their  functions  in  the  Tabernacle. 
"mDC^D   in  contrast   with   m3j?  is  the  over- 

V  V  :   "  T    -: 


sight  of  all  the  vessels  of  the  Tabernacle;   comp. 

a''73n-r(X    noiI?  iii.  8;   m3j?   the  service,  e.g.,  \i\. 

taking  down  and  setting  up  the  Tabernacle,  its 
purification,  carrying  water  and  wood  for  the 
altar  and  sacrificial  service,  slaughtering  the 
sacrificial  beasts  for  the  general  daily  and  fi^sti- 
val  sacrifices  of  the  congregation,  etc.,  ver.  2(3  6." 
Keil.  Keil  also  calls  to  mind  that  David,  ac- 
cording to  1  Chr.  xxiii.  24,  drew  the  Levites  into 
service  as  early  as  their  twentieth  year  and  on, 
"because  the  Levites  had  no  longer  to  carry  the 
Tabernacle  and  all  its  vessels."  One  might  also 
conjecture  that  in  chap.  iv.  the  thirty  years  were 
originally  appointed  only  for  the  Kohathites, 
because  these  stood  next  to  the  priests,  and  had 
to  carry  the  sacred  vessels,  but  that,  by  misun- 
derstanding of  later  copyists,  the  number  thirty 
was  ascribed  also  to  the  Gershonites  and  Mera- 
rites.  ["It  is  remarkable,  that  no  law  was 
made  concerning  the  age  at  which  the  priests 
should  begin  to  officiate ;  and  though  various 
blemishes  disqualified  them  for  the  service  of 
the  Sanctuary,  yet  they  continued  their  ministra- 
tions till  death,  if  capable.  On  the  other  hand, 
nothing  is  said  concerning  any  bodily  defects  or 
blemishes  disqualifying  the  Levites,  but  the 
time  of  their  service  is  expressly  settled.  Their 
work  was  far  more  laborious  than  that  of  the 
priests,  it  is  probable  that,  without  necessity, 
the  priests  would  not  begin  v^^ry  early  to  offi- 
ciate ;  and  the  wisdom  and  experience  of  age 
would  increase,  rather  than  diminish,  their  fit- 
ness for  the  sacred  duties  of  their  office."  Scott. 
Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  viii.  The  candlestick  and  the  Levites, 
What  they  have  in  common  ;  the  care  of  the 
glory  of  the  Sanctuary,  Their  consuming  them- 
selves in  the  service  of  God.  The  candlesticks 
must  cast  their  gleam  forwards  into  the  Temple. 
The  service  of  the  Levites  at  the  sanctuary 
transmitted  to  the  entire  Christian  Church. 
The  universal  priesthood  of  all  believers  should 
become  active  in  their  Levitical  ministry. 


EIGHTH    SECTION. 

The  Little    Passover  for  Rehabilitating  those  that  had  been  Unclean  for  the 

Camp.      The  Stranger  as  a  Convert. 

Chapter  IX.  1-14. 

1  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  in  the  first  month  of 
the  second  year  after  they  were  come  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  saying,  Let  the 

2  children  of  Israel  also  keep  the  passover  at  his  appointed  season.     In  the  four- 

3  teenth  day  of  this  month,^  at  even,  ye  shall  keep   it  in  his  appointed  season : 
according  to  all  the  *rites  of  it,  and  according  to  all  the  "ceremonies  thereof,  shall 

4  ye  keep  it.     And  Moses  spake  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  should  keep 

5  the  passover.     And  they  kept  the  passover  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first 


62 


NUMBERS. 


montli^  at  even  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai :  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses,  so  did  the  children  of  Israel. 

6  And  there  were  certain  men,  who  were  defiled  by  the  dead  body  of  a  man,  that 
they  could  not  keep  the  passover  on  that  day :  and  they  came  before  Moses  and 

7  before  Aaron  on  that  day.  And  those  men  said  unto  him,  We  are  defiled  by  the 
dead  body  of  a  man  :  wherefore  •'are  we  kept  back,  that  we  may  not  offer  an  ^offering 

8  of  the  Lord  in  his  appointed  season  among  the  children  of  Israel  ?  And  Moses 
said  unto  them.  Stand  still,  and  I  will  hear  what  the  Lord  will  command  concern- 
ing you. 

9,  10  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
sayino;,  If  any  man  of  you  or  of  your  posterity  shall  be  unclean  by  reason  of  a 
dead  body,  or  be  in  a  journey  afar  off,  ^yet  he  shall  keep  the  passover  unto  the 

11  Lord.     The  fourteenth  day  of  the  second  month^  at  even  they  shall  keep  it,  and 

12  eat  it  with  unleavened  bread  and  bitter  herbs.  They  shall  leave  none  of  it  unto 
the  morning,  nor  break  any  bone  of  it:  according  to  all  the 'ordinances  of  the 

13  passover  they  shall  keep  it.  But  the  man  that  is  clean,  and  is  not  in  a  journey, 
and  forbeareth  to  keep  the  passover,  even  the  same  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from 
among  his  people :  because  he  brought  not  the  '^offering  of  the  Lord  in  his  ap- 

14  pointed  season,  that  man  shall  bear  his  sin.  And  if  a  stranger  shall  sojourn  among 
you,  and  will  keep  the  passover  unto  the  Lord  ;  according  to  the  'ordinance  of  the 
passover,  and  according  to  the  "manner  thereof,  so  shall  he  do :  ye  shall  have  one 
ordinance,  both  for  the  stranger,  and  for  him  that  was  born  in  the  land. 


1  Heb.  between  the  evenings. 

•  statutes. 

•  [and  will  fcee;).— Tr.] 


*>  (rights.) 


«  should  we  be  excluded. 
'  statute. 


A  oblation. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  6.  D'E^jX  TT'I-  "  Many  codices  have 'K  ViTI^;  yet  comp.  Gen.  i.  14."  Maueeb. 

Ver.  10.  hprn  is  one  of  the  words  marked  as  suspicious  by  puncta  extraordinaria.  Keil  says:  "probably 
first  of  all  simpV  on  the  ground  that  the  more  exact  definition  is  not  found  in  ver.  13.  The  Rabbins  suppose  the 
marks  to  indicate  that  Plpm  is  not  to  be  taken  here  in  its  literal  sense,  but  denotes  merely  distance  from  Jeru- 
salem, or  from  the  threshold  of  the  outer  court  of  the  temple."  Lange's  remark  is:  "the  expression  npm  only 
occasions  critical  considerations;  it  is  immaterial  whether  the  man  is  on  a  distant  way,  or  at  a  distance  on  his 

vay." 'n''^}?)  is  to  be  rendered  as  in  ver.  14.    The  latter  case  implies  the  liberty  of  omitting  the  celebration 

of  the  Passover  as  something  not  obligatory  on  a  stranger;  comp.  Exod.  xii.  48.  Similarly  it  was  not  obligatory 
on  an  Israelite  to  observe  the  Passover,  if  he  was  Levitically  disqualified  at  the  period  of  its  observance. 

Ver.  146.  "nTT  stands  for  n'nn,  as  in  Exod.  xii.  49;  comp.  Ewald,  g  295,  d."  Keil.  But  as  D;dS  H^n  is  the 
same  as  ye  have,  the  object  possessed  may  be  regarded  as  in  the  accusative ;  there  shall  be  to  you,  that  is,  ye  shall 
have  one  statute.  The  disagreement  in  number  and  gender  between  the  seeming  subject  and  the  verb  H^H  in 
similar  expressions  to  the  present  is  in  favor  of  this  construction.    See  Naegelsbach,  §100,  4,  rem.  1.— Tk.] 


EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  The  present  section  gives  us  very  plain  evi- 
dence that  all  the  representations  of  the  book  of 
Numbers  up  to  this  point  are  devoted  to  the 
equipment  of  the  army  of  God  for  its  military 
expedition.  For  instance,  in  respect  to  time,  tiiis 
regulation  concerning  the  celebration  of  the  Pass- 
over by  such  as  were  become  unclean  reaches 
very  far  back  beyond  the  fourteenth  day  of  the 
first  month.  But  it  is  placed  in  this  connection 
because  here  it  treats  of  the  completeness  of  the 
celebration  of  the  Passover  by  the  entire  army 
of  God,  and  because  those  who  were  unclean  and 
those  on  journeys  would  be  absent  at  the  legal 
period.  This  gap  must  also  at  length  be  filled  up. 
The  chief  stress  is  thus  on  the  Little  Passover. 
As  Knobkl  neglects  the  fundamental  idea  of  the 
whole  section,  it  is,  of  course,  no  wonder  that  he 


writes:  "It  is  not  explained  why  the  author 
gives  this  regulation  only  here,  and  not  before 
chapters  i.-iv."  Midnight  darkness!  [On  the 
Little  Passover  see  Smith's  Bib.  Diet,  article 
Passover. — Tr.] 

2.  Vers.  1-5.  The  celebration  of  the  Passover. 
The  text  here  makes  a  striking  return  to  the  in- 
stitution of  the  Passover  (Exod.  xii.).  Yet  it 
can  hardly  be  for  the  purpose  of  obviating  a  mis- 
understanding that  the  Israelites  might  have  had 
concerning  Exod.  xii.  24,  25,  viz.,  that  they  were 
not  to  resume  the  celebration  of  the  Passover  un- 
til they  entered  Palestine.  But  it  was  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  the  regulation  for  the 
complete  celebration  of  the  Passover.  Keil  cor- 
rectly supposes  that  the  blood  of  the  Passover, 
now  that  the  altar  was  set  up,  was  sprinkled  on 
the  altar,  as  was  the  blood  of  all  slaughtered  ani- 
mals (Lev.  xvii.  3-6).  Difficulty  is  made  by 
some  (Kurtz)  in  reference  to  sprinkling  so  much 


CHAP,  IX,  16-23, 


5R 


blood  of  so  many  lambs  as  something  beyond  the 
ability  of  the  priests  [who  were  so  few,  viz.,  Aa- 
ron, Eleazar  and  Ithamar,  as  Nadab  and  Abihu 
were  now  dead]  to  do.  On  this  subject  Ketl 
treats  [showing  that  the  difficulty  is  exaggerated, 

(1)  in  reference  to  the  number  of  lambs  killed, 

(2)  in  reference  to  the  necessity  of  slaughtering 
them  in  the  court  of  the  Tabernacle. — Tr.] 

3.  Vers.  6-14.  The  Little  Passover.  The  men 
that  approach  Moses  and  Aaron  with  their  in- 
quiry appear  to  have  been  disquieted  by  the  fear 
of  a  collision  of  duties.  They  see  themselves 
legally  prevented  from  taking  part  on  the  14th 
of  Nisan  in  the  celebration  of  the  oblation  for 
Jehovah,  which  certainly  consisted  in  the  aton- 
ing blood.  This  was  in  consequence  of  the  law 
Lev.  vii.  21  regarding  any  one  defiled  by  con- 
tact with  a  dead  body  (Dnx    K'3J).     Yet  the  law 

required  the  celebration  to  be  on  that  day. 
[The  inquiry  seemed  prompted  by  the  desire  of 
sharing  a  privilege  rather  than  by  the  fear  of 
coming  short  in  duty  ;  see  Text,  and  Gram,  on 
ver.  10.  Certain  men.  "Probably  (comp. 
Blunt's  Script.  Coincidences,  pp.  62-65)  Mishael 
and  Elizaphan,  who  buried  their  cousins,  Nadab 
and  Abihu,  within  a  week  of  this  Passover  (Lev. 
X.  4,  5).  None  would  be  more  likely  to  make 
this  inquiry  of  Moses  than  his  kinsmen,  who 
had  defiled  themselves  by  his  express  direction. 
'  The  Bib.  Com,:  "— Tr.].  That  Moses  even  here 
does  not  immediately  give  his  decision,  but  de- 
sires first  to  inquire  of  the  Lord,  accords  with 
the  great  fidelity  and  prudence  of  the  prophet. 


Moreover  the  decision  appears  in  every  respect 
an  illumination.  With  the  unclean  are  asso- 
ciated also  those  that  are  delayed  by  a  journey. 
But  the  period  for  the  Little  Passover  is  ex- 
actly determined;  it  must  be  one  month  later. 
But  because  with  this  permission  there  might 
easily  be  joined  arbitrary  license,  the  exact  ob- 
servance of  the  rite,  in  the  first  place,  is  insisted 
on,  and,  secondly,  the  abuse  of  this  regulation 
for  a  more  convenient  celebration  in  the  second 
montii,  the  feigned  hindrance  as  a  neglect  of 
the  Passover,  is  made  punishable  even  with 
d(ath.  For  the  celebration  of  the  Passover  is, 
next  to  circumcision,  the  sign  of  Israelitish 
fidelity.  This  ordinance  is  also  extended  to  the 
stranger,  so  far  as  he  desires  to  be  an  Israelite 
(Exod.  xii.  48j. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  ix.  1-14.  The  Little  Passover  a  proof 
of  the  imperfection  of  the  law  of  the  letter, 
which  occasions  an  apparent  conflict  of  duties 
(keeping  the  Passover  at  the  time  legally  ap- 
pointed, and  avoiding  the  Passover  on  account 
of  uncleanness),  but  also  a  proof  of  the  spiritual 
germ  in  the  legislation. — Better  not  celebrate 
the  Passover,  than  celebrate  it  in  a  state  of  un- 
cleanness. Application  to  the  communion.  The 
false  application,  that  thinks  it  is  necessary  to 
feel  free  from  sin,  is  reproved  by  the  formulas 
of  preparation.  The  Little  Passover  a  type  of 
private  communion  and  of  the  communing  of 
the  sick. 


NINTH  SECTION. 

The  Cloud  as  the  Symbolic  Leader  of  the  Army  of  God. 
Chapter  IX.   15-23. 

15  And  on  the  day  *tliat  the  tabernacle  was  reared  up  the  cloud  covered  the  taber- 
nacle, namely,  the  tent  of  the  testimony :  and  at  even  there  was  upon  the  taber- 

16  nacle  as  it  were  the  appearance  of  fire,  until  the  morning.     So  it  was  alway :  the 

17  cloud  covered  it  hj  day,  and  the  appearance  of  fire  by  night.  And  when  the  cloud 
was  taken  up  from  the  ''tabernacle,  then  after  that  the  children  of  Israel  journeyed : 
and  in  the  place  where  the  cloud  abode,  there  the  children  of  Israel  "^pitched  their 

18  tents.  At  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  the  children  of  Israel  journeyed,  and  at 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  "pitched  :  as  long  as  the  cloud  abode  upon  the 

19  tabernacle  they  "rested  in  their  tents.  And  when  the  cloud  'tarried  long  upon  the 
tabernacle  many  days,  then  the  children  of  Israel  kept  the  charge  of  the  Lord,  and 

20  journeyed  not.  And  so  it  was,  when  the  cloud  was  a  few  days  upon  the  tabernacle ; 
according  to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  "abode  in  their  tents,  and  accord- 

21  ing  to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  journeyed.  And  ^so  it  was,  when  the 
cloud  ^abode  from  even  unto  the  morning,  and  that  the  cloud  was  taken  up  in  the 
morning,  then   they  journeyed  :  whether  it  tvas  by  day  or  by  night  that  the  cloud 

22  was  taken  up,  they  journeyed.     Or  whether  it  were  two  days,  or  a  month,  or  "a  year, 
that  the  cloud  tarried  upon  the  tabernacle,  remaining  thereon,  the  children  of  Is-  • 
rael  abode  in  their  tents,  and  journeyed  not :  but  when  it  was  taken  up,  they  jour- 


54 


NUMBERS. 


23  neyed.  At  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  "rested  in  their  tents,  and  at  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord  they  journeyed  :  they  kept  the  charge  of  the  Lord,  at 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 


1  Heb.  prolonged. 

»  that  he  set  up  the  tabenmde. 
d  did  it  happen  that  the  cloud,  etc. 


2  Heb.  was. 

»  Tent. 

'  longer  time. 


•  camped. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

We  have  finally  a  statement  of  the  guidance 
of  the  divine  army  in  a  symbolical  form,  yet  in 
very  definite  traits.  Two  considerations  make 
it  plain  that  the  cloud  over  the  Tabernacle  did 
not  lead  the  expedition  in  a  literal  sense.  When 
they  began  their  march  the  banner  of  Judah 
took  position  in  the  van,  and  joined  to  Judah 
were  Issachar  and  Zebulun.  Not  till  after  these 
did  the  Levites  come  with  the  Tabernacle.  And 
this  was  agreeably  to  military  usage  ;  the  Ta- 
bernacle with  its  sacred  treasures  ought  not  to  be 
exposed  to  hostile  attack.  Thus  it  could  not  ba 
the  guiding  head  of  the  army  in  a  literal  sense. 
Moreover  it  is  said  in  ver.  18  :  "at  the  com- 
mandment (mouth)  of  the  Lord  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  camped."  Therefore  the 
opinion  of  Knobel  and  ZuNZ  accords  poorly 
with  Biblical  theology,  when  they  explain  that 
the  Israelites  read  the  meaning  of  God  in  the 
motion  of  the  cloud.  The  departure  takes  place 
here,  as  did  the  departure  out  of  Egypt,  accord- 
ing to  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  Moses  (x.  13). 
What  the  Lord  said  to  Moses  is  immediately  il- 
lustrated, for  the  religious  view  of  the  people,  by 
the  cloud  and  pillar  of  fire  which  is  now  joined 
to  the  Tabernacle.  Keil  seems  to  conceive  of 
the  matter  as  a  wholly  material,  standing  miracu- 
lous sign;  that  the  cloud  appears  lifted  up,  to 
indicate  an  advance,  and  then  stands  again  over 
the  Tent  when  the  procession  should  rest.  So, 
too,  he  assumes  that  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  in  an 
outward  fashion,  continually  filled  the  Holiest 
of  all,  appealing  to  Exod.  xl.  34-38.  But  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  as  the  manifested  divine 
splendor  of  the  God  who  reveals  Himself,  pre- 
supposes eyes  of  faith  that  are  looking  on,  and 
they  showed  themselves,  e.  (/.,  when  the  high- 
priest  went  into  the  Holiest  of  all.  According 
to  a  fundamental  law  of  the  prttriarchal  and  pro- 
phetic sphere,  the  word  of  God  precedes,  then 
follows  tlie  visible  sign  ;  within  the  sphere  of  the 
legal  discipline  of  the  people,  this  order  is  re- 
versed, e.  ().,  the  celebration  of  the  Passover. 
Thus  God's  word  in  the  mouth  of  the  prophet 
led  Israel,  and  the  cloud  led  them  as  a  sign  of 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  15.  rrn",  here  and  in  following  verse  the  future  or  imperfect  denoting  repeated  action;  see  Gkeen,  g 

263,4. rn^'ii    SnX?     JSU'D,  "the  dwelling  of  the  tent  of  witness  "(7  used  for  the  genitive  to  avoid  a  double 

construct  state  :  Ewald,  g  292,  a)  Keil. 

Ver.  17.  n>n    r\l7j/n    'iJv;  the  infinitive  constr.  used  genitively  after  a  substantive  in  the  construct  state  ; 

It  1  V  T  ■•  •   : 

but  represents  a  direct  sentence,  =  "  as  often  as  the  cloud  arose." 

Ver.  20.  IDD^D  D'O' ;  an  instance  of  the  absolute  state  of  the  substantive  where  we  would  expect  the  con- 

T     ;   ■  ■  T 

Btruct  state,  e.  g.,  1 DDO  ''D^  The  substantive  is  co-ordinated  with  its  attribute,  and  the  latter  gives  the  impres- 
sion  of  being  used  as  a  substitute  for  an  adjective  that  is  wanting,  or  as  an  intensified  adjective  notion.  Comp. 
Ewald,  g  287,  h.—'X-e..]. 

this.  But  the  divine  illumination  of  Moses  did 
not  once  disdain  to  co-operate  with  the  know- 
ledge of  the  desert  of  his  brother-in-law  Hobab  : 
"Leave  me  not,"  he  said  to  him,  "  forasmuch 
as  thou  knowest  how  we  are  to  encamp  in  the 
wilderness"  (x.  31).  In  like  manner,  too,  he 
had  earlier  taken  human  counsel  with  his 
father-in-law  Jethro  (Exod.  xviii.).  Keil  justly 
remarks  :  the  explanation  cannot  be  justified : 
"  the  cloud  covered  the  dwelling  of  the  Tent  of 
Testimony,"  i.e.,  at  the  compartment  in  which 
the  Testimony  was,  the  Holiest  of  all  (Rosen- 
MULLER,  Knobel  [Bush,  The  Bible  Comm. — 
Tr.]).  [The  controlling  statement  in  reference 
to  this  matter  is  Exod.  xl.  34,  which  expressly 
affirms  that  the  cloud  covered  the  whole  Tent  of 
Meeting.  Accordingly  (ver.  15)  the  addition  of 
the  phrase  Tent  of  Testimony  must  not  be 
taken  as  nearer  specification  of  the  locality  ;  for 

which  moreover  the    /  does  not  suit,  (see  Text. 

and  Oram,.).  It  is  intended  to  describe  the 
whole  Tabernacle  with  reference  to  a  particular 
fact  that  was  important  with  respect  to  what  is 
stated  about  the  cloud.  The  testimony  was  the 
tables  of  the  decalogue  that  were  in  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  (Exod.  xxv.  16).  These  formed 
the  basis  of  .Jehovah's  covenant  with  Israel  and 
the  pledge  of  His  presence  in  the  Tabernacle. 
The  Tabernacle  (or  dwelling)  of  the  tent 
of  the  testimony  therefore  names  the  whole 
Tabernacle  with  reference  to  that  which  ex- 
plains why  the  cloud  should  rest  on  it.  See 
Keil  in  loc. — Tr.J. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  ix.  15-23.  The  pillar  of  cloud  and  of 
fire  on  the  Tabernacle.  Over  the  Christian 
house  of  God.  The  guidance  of  Israel  by  the 
pillar  of  cloud  and  of  fire.  The  guidance  of  the 
Christian  Church  by  faith's  gleam  of  light  and 
of  life.  The  fidelity  of  the  Church  towards  the 
guidance  of  God.  God's  guiding  sign  in  every 
Christian's  path  in  life. 

The  great  word:  according  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Lord  they  encamped  ;  and  according  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord  they  marched  forth.     God's 


CHAPTER  X.   1-10. 


53 


protection   is    conditioned   by   His    word.     The 
purer,  richer,  riper  the  word  of  the  Lord  in  the 


mouths  of  men,  the  more  certain  and  the  greater 
the  protection  of  the  Lord. 


10 


TENTH    SECTION. 

The  Trumpets  are  appointed  to  give  the  signals  for  departure. 

Chapter  X.   1-10 

1,  2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Make  thee  two  trumpets  of  silver  ; 
'of  a  whole  piece  shalt  thou  make  them :  that  thou  mayest  use  them  for  the  calling 

3  of  the  assembly,  and  for  the  journeying  of  the  camps.  And  when  they  shall  blow 
with  them,  all  the  assembly  shall  assemble  themselves  to  thee  at  the  door  of  the 

4  ""tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  And  if  they  blow  hid  with  one  trumpet,  then  the 
princes,  which  are  heads  of  the  thousands  of  Israel,  shall  gather  themselves  unto 
thee.  "When  ye  blow  an  alarm,  then  the  camps  that  lie  on  the  east  parts  shall  %o 
forward.  When  ye  blow  an  alarm  the  second  time,  then  the  camps  that  lie  on  the 
south  side  shall  take  their  journey  :  they  shall  blow  an  alarm  for  their  journeys. 
But  when  the  congregation  is  to  be  gathered  together,  ye  shall  blow,  but  ye  shall 
not  sound  an  alarm.  And  the  sons  of  Aaron,  the  priests,  shall  blow  with  the  trum- 
pets ;  and  they  shall  be  to  you  for  an  ^ordinance  for  ever  throughout  your  genera- 
tions. And  if  ye  go  to  war  ill  your  land  against  the 'enemy  that  oppresseth  you, 
then  ye  shall  blow  an  alarm  with  the  trumpets ;  and  ye  shall  be  remembered  be- 
fore the  Lord  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be  saved  from  your  enemies.  Also  in  the 
day  of  your  gladness,  and  in  your  solemn  days,  and  in  the  beginnings  of  your 
months,  ye  shall  blow  with  the  trumpets  over  your  burnt  offerings,  and  over  the 
sacrifices  of  your  peace  offerings ;  that  they  may  be  to  you  for  a  memorial  before 
your  God :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 


»  of  rounded  twisted  work;  embossed  work  (Buns  en);  solid  (Zunz). 
"  And  when.  *  take  their  journey. 


•>  Tent  of  Meeting. 
•  statute.  f  oppressor. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

The  two  silver  trumpsts  (H'li'ii'n,    to  be 

distinguished    from   the    horn,     laiiy,    see  Lev. 

XXV.),  appointed  to  give  all  the  signals  for  the 
army  of  God,  but  especially  to  sound  the  signal 
for  departure,  form  a  beautiful  and  fitting  con- 
clusion of  all  the  preparations  for  the  march. 

They  were  made  of  wrought  silver.  Accord- 
ing to  the  representation  on  the  Arch  of  Titus, 
and  on  Jewish  coins,  which  show  what  they 
were  at  a  later  date,  they  seem  to  have  been 
straight  trumpets.  [See  Smith's  Bib.  Diet. 
article  Cornet. — Tb.] 

They  belonged  to  the  central  Sanctuary,  were 
sacred  implements,  in  some  sense,  were,  as  the 
censers,  symbols  of  prayers  (ver.  9),  and  might 
not  be  blown  by  any  but  the  priests. 

They  were  first  blown  for  the  guidance  of  the 
army  through  the  desert,  but  afterwards  also 
when  any  war  broke  out,  then  at  festivals,  and 
particularly  at  the  festival  sacrifices,  at  national 
feasts,  and  afterwards  generally  at  the  enlarged 
festival  cultus.  Although  most  likely  they 
sounded  but  one  note,  they  were  yet  made  to 
utter  a  very  expressive  language,  so  that  in 
their  employment  we  have  unmistakably  a  type 
of  our  military  signals.     Their  various  signifi- 


cations were  as  follows:  1)  If  both  were  blown 
(ver.  3),  then  the  whole  congregation  (virtually 
by  their  representatives,  according  to  Keil?) 
assembled  before  the  door  of  the  Tabernacle. 
2)  If  only  one  was  blown  (ver.  4),  then  the 
princes  of  the  tribes  were  to  assemble  with 
Moses  (at  the  Tabernacle).  3)  If  they  were 
not  merely  blown  in  single,  interrupted  blasts 
(;?pn),  but  in  a  protracted  peal  (H^'n/^  ^^J^), 
then  it  was  the  signal  for  departure.  4)  The 
first  peal  summoned  the  banner  of  Judah  with 
his  associates  to  depart  (ver.  5).  The  second 
peal  concerned  the  division  toward  the  south 
(ver.  6  a).  The  arrangement  is  not  further  ex- 
pressed in  detail,  because  further  on  the  depar- 
ture is  more  exactly  described.  Moreover  one 
could  suppose  that  the  first  signal  concerned 
also  the  Tabernacle,  seeing  that,  in  fact,  it  pro- 
ceeded from  the  central  Sanctuary,  whereas  the 
third  [?]  signal  might  suifice  to  notify  all  the 
following  divisions.  The  peal  is  expressly  re- 
served only  for  the  marching  processions  ;  for 
the  assembling  of  the  congregation  trumpet 
blasts  Bufl&ce. 

Furthermore  the  trumpets  were  appointed  on 
the  one  hand  to  call  to  war  (ver.  9),  and  on  the 
Other  to  the  feasts  of  peace  (ver.  10).  Among 
sacrifices,  however,  none  but  burnt -offerings 
and  peace-otterings  were  glorified  by  the  trum- 


56 


NUMBERS. 


pets;  the  former  by  trumpet  peals,  the  latter 
by  trumpet  blasts.  Once  more  in  ver.  10  the 
enforcement  of  the  commandments  by  the  clang 
of  trumpets  is  emphasized.  And  in  this  place 
also  we  hear  again  the  solemn  declaration  of  the 
Law-Giver:  I  am  Jehovah  your  God. 

As  the  State  has  imparted  a  special  language 
to  military  music,  so  the  Church  has  done  to  its 
bells  ;  one  might  even  say  it  has  completely  so 
done  to  its  melodies  in  the  songs  of  the  Church. 
In  the  institution  of  the  trumpets,  moreover, 
there  is  included  the  unity  of  ingredients  be- 
longing both  to  the  Church  and  to  the  State. 
They  are  the  instruments  of  the  legal  theocracy 
whose  idyllic  or  paradisaical  intervals  are  pro- 
claimed  by  the  horn. 

[Your  solemn  feast3  "  are  the  feasts  men- 
tioned in  chapters  xxviii.  and  xxix.  and  Lev. 
xxiii."  Keil.  Other  occasions  when  the  blow- 
ing of  trumpets  is  mentioned:  xxxi.  6;  2  Chr. 


xiii.  12,  14;  XX.  21,  22,  28;  1  Chr.  xv.  24  ;  xvi. 
6;  2  Chr.  v.  12;  vii.  6;  Ezra  iii.  10;  Neh.  xii. 
35.  41  ;  2  Chr.  xxix.  27.  Metaphorical  refer- 
ence to  the  custom :  Isa.  Iviii.  1  ;  xxvii.  13 ; 
Joel  ii.  15,  16;   1  Cor.  xiv.  8.— Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  X,  1-10.  The  silver  trumpets  the  signals 
of  the  congregation.  The  distinction  in  their 
use  (one  or  two  blasts,  or  a  winding  peal).  So 
the  Christian  bells  in  their  unity  and  distinc- 
tion. How  they  seem  to  speak  so  differently 
according  to  the  different  disposition  of  the 
hearers.  As  a  merry  peal ;  in  funeral  tolling  ; 
in  the  fire  alarm.  There  are  enemies  of  faith 
that  hate  Christianity  to  the  very  sound  of  its 
bells  (and  of  the  organ  too)  ;  whereas  to  others 
the  tones  of  bells  are  like  a  language  of  the 
gospel.  The  bell  proclaims  and  celebrates  the 
sacred  season,  the  organ  the  sacred  place. 


SECOND    DIVISION. 


TO  KADESH.  THE  DEPARTURE  AND  MARCH  UNTIL  THE  DEFEAT  OF  THE 
ARMY.  THE  REVELATION  OF  THE  SPIRITUAL  INSUFFICIENCY  OF  THE 
TYPICAL  ARMY  OF  GOD. 

Chaps.  X.  11— XIV.  45. 


FIRST    SECTION. 

The  Departure.     Order  of  March.     Hobab  the  Desert  Guide  [Chap.  X.  11-28]. 
Watchwords  of  Moses  for  the  March  [Chap.  X.  29-36]. 

Chapter  X.  11-28. 


The 


11  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the  second  month,  in  the  second 
year,  that  the  cloud  was  taken  up  from  off  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony.     And 

12  the  children  of  Israel  took  their  journeys  out  of  the  wilderness  of  Sinai;  and  the 

13  cloud  rested  in  the  wilderness  ofParan.  And  they  first  took  their  journey  accord- 
ing to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

14  In  the  first  place  went  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  the  children  of  Judah  accord- 

15  ing  to  their  "armies :  and  over  his  host  ^ms  Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab.  And 
over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Issachar  was  Nethaneel  the  son  of 

16  Zuar.     And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Zebulun  was  Eliab  the 

17  son  of  Helon,  And  the  tabernacle  was  taken  down  ;  and  the  sons  of  Gershou  and 
the  sons  of  Merari  set  forward,  ""bearing  the  tabernacle. 

18  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Reuben  set  forward  according  to  their  "armies: 

19  and  over  his  host  was  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur.     And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe 

20  of  the  children  of  Simeon  tvas  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zurishaddai.     And  over  the 

21  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Gad  ivas  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel.  And  the 
Kohathites  set  forward  ''bearing  the  sanctuary:  and  Hhe  other  did  set  up  the  taber- 
nacle against  they  came. 

22  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  the  children  of  Ephraim  set  forward  according 
2o  to  their  "armirs:  and  over  his  host  rvas  Elishama  the  son  of  Ammihud.    And  over 

the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Manasseh  was  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedah- 


CHAP.  X.  11-28. 


67 


24  zur.     And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Benjamin  was  Abidan  the 
son  of  Gideoni. 

25  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  the  children  of  Dan  set  forward,  Hvhich  was  the 
rearward  of  all  the  camps  "throughout  their  hosts  :  and  over  his  host  was  Ahiezer 

26  the  son  of  Ammishaddai.     And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Asher 

27  was  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ocran,     And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 

28  Naphtali  ivas  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan.     ^Thus  ivere  the  journeyings  of  the  children 
according  to  their  "armies,  'when  they  set  forAvard. 


1  That  is,  the  Gershonites  aiid  the  Merarites,  see  ver.  17,  i.  51. 

»  hosts.  *•  who  bore. 

*  according  to.  t  and. 


2  Heb.  .These. 
•  closing  all  the  camps. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  The  date  of  the  departure:  the  twentieth 
day  of  the  second  month  of  the  second  year. 
The  disappearance  of  the  cloud  from  the  dwell- 
ing of  the  Tabernacle  gave  the  sign  for  the 
departure. 

2.  The  beginning  and  the  preliminary  goal  of 
the  march  :  from  the  -desert  of  Sinai  to  the 
desert  of  Paran.  Especially  deserving  of  notice 
is  the  expression  :  the  eloud  abode  in  the 
desert  of  Paran.  The  cloud  abode  there,  e.  e., 
the  Tabernacle  also  abode  there,  the  congrega- 
lion  abode  there.  It  took  its  abiding  residence 
in  the  desert.  The  intermediate  stations  are  not 
given  here,  though  they  are  in  xxxiii.  The  way 
in  respect  to  its  hardship  is  described  Deut.  i.  19. 
Some  matters  of  moment  that  preceded  the 
actual  settlement  in  the  desert  are  related  in 
what  follows  to  xiv.  45.  I  n  the  first  half,  as  far 
as  xiii.  16,  we  learn  the  chief  events  of  the 
march  until  the  arrival  at  Hazeroth  toward 
Paran:  Hobah ;  'Idb^rah:  the  lusting  after  the 
flesh-pots  of  Eijypt ;  the  rebellion  in  reference  to 
the  induction  of  the  elders  into  office  and  to  their  in- 
spiration ;  the  presumption  of  Miriam  and  of  Aaron, 
In  the  second  half,  as  far  as  xiv.  45,  we  learn 
of  the  fatal  events  connected  with  sending  out 
the  spies,  and  with  the  report  of  the  latter. 

3.  The  desert  of  Paran.  See  an  extended 
notice  of  this  in  Knubel  jo.  41  ;  Keil  in  loc,  and 
our  former  notices.  The  desert  of  Paran  (from 
1J^3  ?   "unclosing,    opening")    borders    on   the 

south  of  Palestine,  on  the  west  side  of  the  moun- 
tains of  Edom,  having  an  indefinite  extent. 
Particular  features  of  it  are  designated  by  a 
mount  Paran,  by  a  plateau  Paran,  by  a  place 
Paran,  a  ravine  Paran,  etc.  Thus  it  was  coro- 
po.<<ed  of  single  deserts  and  was  bordered  by 
other  deserts.  [It  is  not  plain  whether  Dr. 
Lange  refers  to  Scripture  notices  of  Paran,  or 
to  modern  explorations.  In  either  case  the 
statement  is  inaccurate  ;  Scripture  does  not  dis- 
tinguish so  many  local  features,  and  modern  ex- 
ploration does  not  trace  the  name  in  anything 
but  Wady  Fciran.  If  the  latter  be  Repliidim  (see 
under  i.  1-4),  it  cannot  be  Paran. — Tr.] 

4.  The  departure  :  (a)  The  banner  of  Judah 
(comprehendiug  their  tribes,  as  do  also  the 
banners  that  follow),  [h)  The  Gershonites  and 
Merarites  as  bearers  of  the  Tabernacle,  (c) 
The  banner  of  Reuben.  [d)  The  Kohathites 
with  the  Sanctuary.  The  other  Levites  were 
obliged  to  be  in  advance,  in  order  to  set  up  the 


Tabernacle  at  a  resting  place  for  the  bearers  of 
the  Sanctuary  who  followed  later,  (e)  The  ban- 
ner of  Ephraim  [comp.  Ps.  Ixxx.  2].  (/)  The 
banner  of  Dan.  It  is  obvious  from  ver.  33  that 
the  Tabernacle,  or  rather  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant as  its  most  peculiar  sanctuary,  might 
change  its  position  according  to  dilFerent  situa- 
tions. Also  from  Josh.  vi.  7;  chap.  iii.  4.  But 
in  the  latter  case,  also,  an  armed  troop  preceded 
it  for  its  protection. 

5  [E.  H.  Palmer  {The  Desert  of  the  Exodus) 
says  ;"I  concur  with  Wilton  (The  Xegeh,  p.  rj4) 
in  believing  that  the  'wilderness  of  Paran 
comprised  the  whole  desert  of  El  Tih,  and  that 
Mount  Paran  was  the  southernmost  portion  of 
the  mountain  plateau  in  the  north-east,  at  pre- 
sent inhabited  by  the  '■Azazimch  Arabs,  and 
known  as  Jebel  Magrah.  In  this  Ain  Gadis,  or 
Kadesh,  is  siiuated,  and  as  it  lies  below  the 
southern  border  of  the  Negeb,  it  is  not  included 
in  the  region  into  which  Israel  made  the  unsuc- 
cessful attempt  to  penetrate."  p.  420.  He  de- 
scribes the  desert  of  Et  Tih  as  follows  :  It  "  is  a 
limestone  plateau  of  irregular  surface,  the 
southern  portion  of  which  projects  wedge-wise 
into  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula.  It  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  the 
Mountains  of  Judah  [7'Ae  Negeb  mentioned 
above]  ;  on  the  west  by  the  isthmus  of  Suez ; 
and  on  the  east  by  the  'Arabah,  that  large  valley 
or  depression  which  runs  between  the  Gulf  of 
'Akabah  and  the  Dead  Sea.  The  southern  edge, 
which,  as  just  now  remarked,  projects  wedge- 
wise  into  the  Siniatic  Peninsula,  terminates  in  a 
long  cliflF  or  escarpment,  steep  and  abrupt  on  the 
south  western  side,  and  gradually  falling  away 
toward  the  south-east.  The  surface  of  the  pla- 
teau itself,  is  an  arid,  featureless  waste,  its 
monotony  relieved  only  by  a  few  isolated  moun- 
tain groups.  It  is  drained  for  the  most  part  by 
Wady  el  'Arish  [the  River  of  Egypt],  which 
takes  its  rise  in  the  highest  portion  of  the 
southern  cliif,  and  flows  northward  toward  the 
Mediterranean,  being  joined  in  its  course  by 
several  large  valleys  flowing  down  from  Jebel  el 
'■Ejmeh  [the  south-eastern  side  of  the  triangle], 
and  by  systems  of  water-courses  which  come 
down  from  the  hilly  country  in  the  north-east. 
The  country  is  nearly  waterless,  with  exception 
of  a  few  springs  situated  in  the  larger  wadies  ; 
but  even  here  water  can  only  be  obtained  by 
scraping  small  holes  or  pits  (called  themail)  in 
the  ground,  and  bailing  it  out  with  the  hand. 
All  that  is  obtained  by  the  process  is  a  yellowish 
solution,  which  baffles  all  attempts  at  filtering. 


0& 


NUMBERS. 


The  ground  is  for  the  most  part  hard  and  un- 
yielding :  and  is  covered  in  many  places  with  a 
carpet  of  small  iiiuts.  In  spite  of  the  utterly 
arid  nature  of  the  soil,  a  quantity  of  brown, 
parched  herbage  is  scattered  over  the  surface, 
and  affords  excellent  fuel  for  the  camp-fire. 
During  the  greater  part  of  the  year  this  remains 
to  all  appearances  burned  up  and  dead,  but  it 
bursts  into  sudden  life  with  the  spring  and 
winter  rains.  In  the  larger  wadies,  draining  as 
they  do  so  extensive  an  area,  a  very  consider- 
able amount  of  moisture  infiltrates  through  the 
soil,  producing  much  more  vegetation  than  in 
the  plains.  Sufficient  pasturage  for  the  camels 
is  always  to  be  had  in  these  spots,  and  here  and 
there  a  few  patches  of  ground  are  even  available 
for  cultivation."  pp.  232-"235,  Harper's  edition. 
The  desert  of  Paran  must  not  be  confounded 
with  Wady  Feiran,  the  modern  Arabic  repre- 
sentative of  the  name  [ibid.  p.  31),  a  beautiful 
region,  so  named  from  an  ancient  ciiy  Paran, 
whose  ruins  are  still  there. 

Towards  this  wilderness,  that  is  the  eastern 
part  of  it  of  which  the  River  of  Egypt  forms  the 
western  boundary  line,  the  Israelites  now  took 
their  journey,  "  unaware  as  yet  that  on  its 
wastes  the  next  eight  and  thirty  years  of  their 
existence  would  be  spent."  [The  Bible  Comm.). 
Several  encampments  were  made,  and  remark- 
able providences  experienced  before  they  entered 
it.  It  is  therefore  mentioned  here  by  anticipa- 
tion. Comp.  Smith's  Bib.  Did.,  Article  Kadesh 
and  Par.\n. — Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL,   HINTS. 

THE  MARCH  OF  GOD's  HOST  FROM  KABESH,  AND 
ITS  STAY  THERE.  THE  RUIN  OF  THE  FIRST 
GENERATION. 

Chaps.  X.  11 — XX.  13. 

'  Chap.  X.  11. :  The  very  hopeful  start.     Chap.  xi. :  The 
first  rebellion.     A  contest  between   murmuring   and 

fyrayer.  A  contest  between  the  home-sickness  of  the 
ust  of  the  flesh  for  Egypt,  and  inspired,  wondrously 
blest  hope  in  Jehovah's  Jielp,  and  helping  throusrli  in 
the  way  of  the  future.  Chap,  xii.:  A  contest  of  spiritual 
and  priestly  arrogance  with  the  spirit  of  right.  Chaps, 
xiii.,  xiv.:  A  contest  between  despondency  and  obsti- 
nacy, and  the  tirm  heroism  of  those  that  were  faithful 
to  God.  Chap.  xv. :  A  contest  between  the  degeneracy 
of  the  wilderness,  and  giving  renewed  stringency  to  the 
law.  Cliaps.  xvi.,  xvii.:  A  contest  between  religious 
enthusiasm  and  political  insurrection  on  the  one  hand, 


and  the  priestly-political  arrangement  instituted  by  God 
with  its  authorities,  ou  the  other.  .At  the  same  time  a 
contest  between  the  condemnation  to  death,  and  the 
priestly  atonement-  Chap,  xviii. :  Prerogatives  of  the 
priests  and  Levites  settled.  Chap.  xix. :  Provision 
made  for  the  duty  toward  dead  bodies,  and  for  the 
purity  of  the  living  congregation.  Chap.  xx.  1-13:  The 
contest  between  the  murmuring  congregation,  and 
Moses  and  Aaron  at  the  water  of  strife. 

Chap.  X.  11-28.  The  host  of  God  sets  out  at  God's 
signal  for  decamping,  the  lifting  up  of  the 
cloud.  The  movement  of  the  form  of  faith,  of 
the  religious  idea  in  the  direction  of  the  future. 
The  date  of  the  departure.  Such  a  date  in  the 
world's  history  is  unforgotten.  The  order  of  the 
departure;  no  tumultuous  movement;  no  up- 
roar as  a  start.  The  direction  of  the  departure 
from  Sinai  to  Canaan,  or  from  the  mountain  of 
the  law  to  the  promised  land.  Primarily  toward 
Paran,  or  to  Kadesh.  The  sanctuary  in  the 
midst,  the  ark  in  advance.  A  movement  that 
does  not  enclose  the  sanctuary  is  no  march  for 
the  people  of  God.  The  banners  in  advance  of 
the  tribes.  The  actual  peculiarities  of  the  tribes 
constitute  no  conflict  with  unity,  but  the  soul  of 
the  unity, 

[On  X.  12.  "  All  our  removes  in  this  world  are 
but  from  one  wilderness  to  another.  The  changes 
which  we  think  will  be  for  the  better  do  not 
always  prove  so;  while  we  carry  about  with  us, 
wherever  we  go,  the  common  infirmities  of 
nature,  we  must  expect,  wherever  we  go,  to 
meet  with  its  common  calamities  ;  we  shall  never 
be  at  rest,  never  at  home,  till  we  come  to 
heaven,  and  all  will  be  well  there."   M.  Henrt. 

On  X.  13.  "  Some  think  that  mention  is  thus 
frequently  made  in  this  and  the  foregoing  chap- 
ter of  the  commandmejit  of  the  Lord,  guiding  and 
governing  them  in  all  their  travels,  to  obviate 
the  calumny  and  reproach  which  were  after- 
ward thrown  upon  Israel,  that  they  tarried  so 
long  in  the  wilderness,  because  they  had  lost 
themselves  there,  and  could  not  find  the  way 
out.  No,  the  matter  was  not  so  ;  in  every  stage, 
in  every  step,  they  were  under  divine  direc- 
tions ;  and  if  they  knew  not  where  they  were, 
yet  He  that  led  them  did.  Note.  Those  that 
have  given  up  themselves  to  the  direction  of 
God's  word  and  Spirit,  steer  a  steady  course, 
even  when  they  seem  bewildered.  While  they 
are  sure  they  cannot  lose  their  God  and  Guide, 
they  need  not  fear  losing  their  way  {ibid.) — Tr.] 


Hobab  the  Desert-guide.     The  "Watch  VTords  of  Moses  for  the  March. 

Chap.  X.  29-36. 

29  And  Mose.s  said  unto  Hobab,  the  son  of  Raguel  the  Midianite,  Moses'  father  in 
law,  We  are  journeying  unto  the  place  of  which  the  Lord  said,  I  will  give  it  you: 
come  thou  with  us,  and  we  will  do  thee  good :  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good 

30  concerning  Israel.     And  he  .said  unto  him,  I  will  not  go  ;  but  I  Vill  depart  to 

31  mine  own  land,  and  to  my  "kindred.  And  he  said,  Leave  us  not,  I  pray  thee  ; 
forasmuch  as  thou  knowest  how  we  are  to  encamp  in  the  wilderness,  and  thou 


CHAP.  X.  29-36. 


32  mayest  be  to  us  instead  of  eyes.     And  it  shall  be,  if  thou  go  with  us,  it  shall  be, 
that  what  goodness  the  Lord  shall  do  unto  us,  the  same  will  we  do  unto  thee. 

33  And  they  departed  from  the  mount  of  the  Lord  three  days'  journey :  and  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  went  before  them  in  the  three  days'  journey,  to 

34  search  out  a  resting  place  for  them.     And  the  cloud  of  the  Lord  ivas  upon  them 

35  by  day,  when  they  went  out  of  the  camp.     And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  ark  set 
forward,  that  Moses  said.  Rise  up.  Lord,  and  let  thine  enemies  be  scattered  ;  and 

36  let  them  that  hate  thee  flee  before  thee.     And  when  it  rested  he  said,  Return,  O 
Lord,  unto  the  many  thousands  of  Israel. 

1  Heb.  ten  thousand  thousands. 
a  native  place. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  36.  r\2V^  with  the  simple  accusative  of  place  whither.    Comp.  this  construction  of  3?t-'  in  2  Sam.  xv.  34. 

T 

The  transitive  force  preferred  by  some  (Maureu,  The  Bib.  Comm.)  could  give  no  satisfactory  sense  here.  The  word 
in  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah,  in  view  of  the  captivitj',  has  a  developed,  pregnant  sense  that  would  be  an  anachronism 
in  this  place  (see  Naegelsbach  on  Isa.  i.  27^  or  it  would  mean  return  to  Egypt. 

"  The  inverted  nuns,  Z,  at  the  beginning  and  close  of  vers.  35,  36,  which  are  found,  according  to  R.  Mena- 
chem's  de  Lonzano  Or  Torah  (/.  17),  in  all  the  Spanish  and  German  MSS.  and  are  sanctioned  by  the  Masorah,  are  said 
by  the  Talmud  {tract,  de  Sabbatho)  to  be  merely  signa  pareniheseos,  quae  monerent  prceter  historice  seriem  versum  35 
et  36  ad  capitis  finem  inseri  (comp.  Matt.  Eii,j.-eri  de  Arcano  Kethib  et  Keri  libri  duo,  pp.  158,  159).  The  Cabbalists, 
on  the  other  hand,  according  to  R.  Menach.  I.  c.  find  an  allusion  in  it  to  the  Shechinah,  "  quce  velut  obversa  ad  tcrgum 
facie  sequentes  Israelitas  ex  impenso  amore  respicerct."  In  other  MSS.,  however,  which  are  supported  by  the  Masora 
Erffurt,  the  inverted  nun  is  found  in  the  words  };'0Z3  (ver.  35)'and  D'JCXn'DS  (x;i.  1):  the  flrsi,  ad  innuendum  ut 
sic  retrorsum  agantur  omnes  hostes  Israelitarmn  ;  the  second,  ut  esset  symbolum  perpetuum  perversitatis  populi,  inter 
tot  iUu.''tria  signa  liberationis  et  maximorum  beneficiorum  Dei  acerbe  quiritantium,  ad  declarandam  ingratitudinem  et 
contumaciam  suam  (comp.  .J.  Buxtoef,  Tiberias,  p.  169)."    Keil. — Tk.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  Moses  and  Hobab.— Vers.  29-32.  On 
the  reiaiion  of  the  names  Kaguel,  Exod.  ii.  18, 
Jethro,  Exod.  iii,  1,  and  Hob;.b.  see  Smith's  Bib. 
Diet,  articles,  Hobab,  Jethro,  Raguel.  Even 
if  the  grandfather  stood  as  a  patriarch  over  the 
father,  still  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  also  the 
daughters  of  the  father  would  be  simply  called 
the  daughters  of  the  grandfather  and  given  in 
marriage.  This  consideration  justifies  the  as- 
sumption of  JosEPHUs,  Ant.  2,  12, 1,  that  Raguel 
and  Jethro  were  two  names  for  one  person.  The 
honorable  name  Raguel,  "  Friend  of  God,"  would 
then  be  chosen  in  the  first  passage,  Exod.  il.  18, 
as  accounting  for  the  pious  and  obliging  be- 
haviour of  the  priest  toward  Moses.     And  when 

here  a  Hobab  is  named  as  father-in-law  (tnn)  of 
Moses,  it  has  a  twofold  explanation  ;  either  the 
same  word  may  mean  both  father-in-law  and 
brother-in-law;  or,  after  the  death  of  the  actual 
father-in-law,  the  eldest  brother  of  a  wife  stepped 
into  the  place  of  the  father-in-law.  When  we 
consider  how  easily  at  that  time  marriage  could 
be  dissolved,  and  that  the  repudiated  wife  had 
even  still  a  legitimate  domicil  in  her  paternal 
house,  it  were  very  natural  that,  on  the  death 
of  her  father,  her  eldest  brother  could  assume 
the  legal  character  of  a  father-in-law  (jrin).  If 
accordingly  we  assume  that  Jethro,  who,  before 
the  giving  of  the  law  came  to  Moses  in  the  wil- 
derness (Exod.  xviii.  1),  had  in  the  meantime 
died,  then  the  difficulty  may  be  solved  by  as- 
suming that  Hobab  had  succeeded  to  the  dignity 

of  the  name.  Hobab's  (33n,  "love,  a  lover") 
being  called  the  son  of  Raguel,  any  way  makes 
no  particular  difficulty. 


According  to  our  text,  it  may  be  supposed  that 
Hobab  came  to  Moses  with  Jethro,  and  remained 
with  him,  after  the  latter  had  returned  to  his 
priestly  office  in  Midian  (xviii.  27).  Both  stood 
in  the  balance  between  sympathy  for  their  tribe 
and  the  attraction  of  the  Mosaic  faith  (Exod. 
xviii.  10-12).  The  father  remained,  like  John 
the  Baptist,  with  his  people,  the  son  most  proba- 
bly with  Moses.  Now  that  the  march  to  the 
northward  must  begin,  Hobab,  who  hitherto  had 
been  able  to  preserve  a  connection  with  his  peo- 
ple in  the  neighborhood  of  Sinai,  must  now  part 
from  them.  Hence  the  request  of  Moses  that  he 
should  march  along  with  them  and  partake  of  the 
glorious  destiny  that  Jehovah  had  promised  to 
His  people.  Hohab  hesitates,  because  he  wishes 
to  remain  with  his  people.  Moses  begs  press- 
ingly  and  humbly :  Leave  us  not,  for  thou 
knov(rest  v^here  we  must  encamp  in  the 
■wilderness,  and  thou  shalt  be  our  eye. — 
Out  of  this  Knobel  makes  another  contradiction : 
''  According  to  the  Elohist,  ix.  17,  such  a  guide 
was  not  necessary,  since  the  cloud  going  in  ad- 
vance of  them  indicated  t/he  camping-grounds." 
Keil  has  scarcely  deprived  this  negative  literal- 
ism of  its  force  by  remarking,  that  although  the 
pillar  of  cloud  guided  the  march  of  Israel,  yet 
Hobab  might  still  have  afforded  important  ser- 
vices to  the  Israelites.  Here  the  negative, and 
positive  literalism  stand  face  to  face.  "  What 
Hobab  did  further  is  not  mentioned,  but  'as  no 
further  hesitancy  is  reported,  but  the  departure 
of  Israel  is  announced  immediately  after,  Hobab 
must  therefore  have  complied  '  (Knobel).  This 
is  reduced  to  a  certainty  by  the  fact,  that  in  the 
commencement  of  the  times  of  the  Judges  the 
sons  of  the  brother-in-law  of  Moses  went  out  with 
the  children  of  Judah  into  the  wilderness  south 
of  Arad  (Judg.  i.  16) ;  they  therefore  had  coma 


60 


NUMBERS. 


with  the  Israelites  to  Canaan,  and  still  dwelt  in 
that  region  in  the  time  of  Saul  (1  Sam.  xv.  6; 
xxvii.  10;  xxx.  29"  (Keil).  Further  discus- 
sion see  in  Knobel,  p.  43. 

2.    The   first    three    days'    journeys. — The 

whole  route  from  Sinai  to  Kadesh  in  the  quick- 
est and  most  direct  course  is  estimated  to  be 
eleven  days'  journeys  (Keil,  p.  231) :  it  is  there- 
fore not  without  significance  that  the  first  three 
days'  journeys  are  made  prominent ;  immediately 
after  that  the  first  great  disturbance  of  the  march 
appears  to  have  occurred.  There  may  be,  be- 
sides, the  symbolical  meaning  conveyed,  that  in 
the  typical  kingdom  of  God,  under  the  law,  it 
fares  well  only  three  days,  while  the  real  king- 
dom of  God  has  to  pass  only  three  troubled  days 
at  once  (Hos.  vi.  2), 

Knobel  would  make  the  tent  here  mean 
that  the  Ark  of  the  covenant  went  three  days 
ahead ;  in  which  case,  however,  the  Israelites 
would  have  lost  sight  of  it  altogether.  "The 
Elohist  has  it  different,"  he  proceeds,  "accord- 
ing to  whom  the  Ark  of  the  covenant  did  not  go 
in  advance,  but  in  the  midst  of  the  tribes."  Thus 
would  another  contradiction  be  discovered !  First 
of  all  a  distinction  must  be  made  between  the 
Ark  of  the  covenant  and  the  holy  things  col- 
lectively, and  then  between  these  and  the  compo- 
nent parts  of  the  Tabernacle.  This  distinction 
Keil  rightly  recognizes,  with  the  explanation: 
From  this  time  on  the  cloud,  which  embodied  (?) 
the  presence  of  Jehovah,  was  associated  with  the 
Ark  of  the  covenant  as  with  the  visible  throne 
of  His  gracious  presence  ordained  by  Jehovah 
Himself.  With  which  should  now  be  combined, 
that  the  guiding  cloud  in  the  literal  sense  covered 
at  the  same  time  the  whole  army.  But  let  us 
perceive  what  the  text  further  says. 

Ver.  35.  When  the  Ark  arose,  Moses  spake : 
Rise  up,  Jehovah,  etc.  [comp  Ps.  Ixviii.]. — 
And  when  it  settled  down  he  said:  Turn  thee 
about  Jehovah,  to  the  crowd  of  the  thou- 
sands of  Israel. — We  repeat,  it  is  not  accord- 
ing to  the  analogy  of  Scripture  to  suppose  that 
Moses  learned  and  uttered  the  divine  word  as 
the  interpreter  of  the  cloud.  Rather  is  the  word 
of  God  here  also  intended  to  make  us  notice  tlie 
symbolical  significance  of  the  cloud.  ["Moses 
(ver.  35)  calls  them  not  the  enemies  of  the  people, 
but  of  God,  in  order  that  the  Israelites  might  be 
assured  that  they  fought  under  His  auspices;  for 
thus  might  both  a  more  certain  victory  be  ex- 
pected, since  tiie  righteous  God,  who  avenges  in- 
iquity, was  defending  His  own  cause;  and  also 
it  was  no  slight  matter  of  consolation  and  re- 
joicing when  the  people  heard  that  whosoever 
fihould  arise  to  harass  them  unjustly  were  also 
the  enemies  of  God,  since  He  will  protect  His 
people  as  the  apple  of  His  eye.  Therefore  has 
the  Prophet  (Ps.  Ixviii.  1)  borrowed  this  passage 
in  order  to  arm  the  Church  with  confidence  and 
to  maintain  it  in  cheerfulness  under  the  violent 
assaults  of  its  enemies."  Again,  ver,  3().  •  "  Moses 
to  correct  their  impatience  (at  the  delays  of  the 


journey)  reminds  the  people  that  their  halts 
were  advantageous  to  them,  so  that  God,  dwell- 
ing at  home  like  the  father  of  a  family,  might 
manifest  His  care  of  them  ;  for  the  allusion  is  to 
men  who  take  advantage  of  a  time  of  repose  and 
release  from  other  business,  to  occupy  themselves 
more  unrestrainedly  in  paying  attention  to  their 
own  family."  Calvin. — Tk.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  X.  29-36.  Hobab,  or  human  knowledge 
and  science  as  guides  of  the  way.  The  signifi- 
cance of  Jethro,  Hobab,  Hiram  and  others  for 
the  history  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  first 
three  happy  days'  journey  in  the  covenant  of  the 
law.  Their  resemblance  to  the  fourth,  fifth  and 
sixth  centuries.  The  warlike  watchword  of 
Moses  at  the  start;  the  festal  watchword  at  the 
last.  War  and  peace  have  their  times  even  for 
the  kingdom  of  God. 

[Chap.  X.  29.  "Those  that  are  bound  for  the 
heavenly  Canaan  should  invite  and  encourage  all 
their  friends  to  go  along  with  them,  for  we  shall 
have  never  the  less  of  the  treasures  of  the  cove- 
nant and  the  joys  of  heaven  for  others  coming  in 
to  share  with  us.  And  what  argument  can  be 
more  powerful  with  us  to  take  God's  people  than 
this,  that  God  hath  spoken  good  concerning  them? 
It  is  good  having  fellowship  with  those  that  have 
fellowship  with  God  (1  John  i.  3)  and  going  with 
those  with  whom  God  is,  Zech.  viii.  23."  M. 
Henry. 

Chap.  X.  30.  "The  things  of  this  world  which 
are  S3en  draw  strongly  from  the  pursuit  of  the 
things  of  the  other  world,  which  are  not  seen. 
The  magnetic  virtue  of  this  earth  prevails  with 
most  people  above  the  attractions  of  heaven  it- 
self." Ibid. 

Chap.  X.  31,  32.  "  The  great  importunity  Moses 
used  with  Hobab  to  alter  his  resolution.  He 
urges  (1)  That  he  might  be  serviceable  to  them, 
not  to  show  where  they  must  encamp,  nor  the 
way  they  must  march  (the  cloud  was  to  direct 
that),  but  to  show  the  conveniences  and  inconve- 
niences of  the  place  they  must  march  through 
and  encamp  in,  that  they  might  make  the  best 
use  of  the  conveniences  and  the  best  fence  against 
the  inconveniences.  Note,  it  will  very  well  con- 
sist with  our  trust  in  God's  providence  to  make 
use  of  the  help  of  our  friends  in  those  things 
wherein  they  are  capable  of  being  serviceable  to 
us.  Even  they  that  were  led  by  a  miracle  must 
not  slight  the  ordinary  means  of  direction."  Ibid. 
Moses  does  not  flatter  Hobab  with  the  noiion  that 
he  can  confer  a  favor  on  God ;  a  mistaken  way 
of  urging  sinners  that  is  not  uncommon.  '^2) 
"That  vhey  would  be  kind  to  him.  Note  (a)  We 
can  give  only  what  we  receive.  This  is  all  we 
dare  promise,  to  do  good,  as  God  shall  enable  us. 
(6)  Those  that  share  with  God's  Israel  in  their 
labors  and  hardships  shall  share  with  them  in 
their  comforts  and  honors.  J/  we  suffer  with  them, 
we  shall  aha  reign  with  i/fni,  2  Tim.  ii.  12;  Luke 
xxii.  28,  29."  Jbid.—T&.} 


CHAP.  XI.  1-3. 


61 


SECOND    SECTION. 

Tbe  three  great  uprisings  against  Moses,  and  Jehovah's  judgments  and  compas- 
sions. A.  The  burning  of  the  camp:  Taberah  B.  The  longing  for  Egypt  (the 
elders,  the  quails)  and  the  graves  of  lust.     C.  Miriam  and  Aaron  at  Hazeroth. 

Chaps.  XI.— XII.  16. 


How  soon  it  appears  that  the  typical  host  of 
God,  or  the  legal  military  organization  of  Jeho- 
vah is  far  from  being  a  real  array  of  God,  con- 
sisting of  spiritual  men.  In  a  similar  way,  too, 
the  divine  champions  of  the  middle  ages  showed 
themselves,  and  proximately  we,  too,  the  pro- 
testant  contending  armies  from  the  Hussites 
down,  remind  one  of  the  same.  Only  the  first 
three  days  remain  externally  undisturbed,  but 
inwardly  the  army  had  already  gathered  tinder. 
But  the  three  uprisings  that  now  appear  consti- 
tute an  undoubted  climax:  a.  Irruptive  meeting 
and  burning  of  the  camp.  b.  Home-sickness  of 
the  accompanying  mixed  multitude,  spreading 
like  contagion  through  the  entire  host,  and  graves 


of  lust.  c.  Fanatical  exaltation  even  of  pioua 
enthusiasm  and  of  the  priesthood,  of  Miriam  and 
of  Aaron  against  the  prophetic  integrity  of  Moses 
and  the  non-suiting  of  the  Aaronitic  priesthood 
along  with  the  leprosy  of  Miriam.  Thereupon, 
of  course,  should  follow  the  last  and  almost  uni- 
versal insurrection  of  the  people  in  consequence 
of  the  report  of  the  spies  ihat  had  been  sent  to 
Canaan,  expressed  in  the  double  form  of  de- 
spondency and  obstinacy,  and  which  provoked 
the  divine  judgment:  this  generation  shall  per- 
ish in  the  desert.  Yet  the  history  of  this  insur- 
rection is  so  comprehensive  that  we  must  treat 
of  it  in  a  section  by  itself. 


A.— TABERAH    (PLACE    OF   BURNING).      THE   MUTINY  AND   THE    BURNING    OF    THE 

CAMP.     Chapter  XI.  1-3. 

1  'And  when  the  people  'complained,'  it  displeased  the  Lord:  and  the  Lord  heard 
it;  and  his  anger  was  kindled ;  and  the  fire  of  the  Lord  burnt  among  them,  and 

2  ''consumed  them  ihat  were  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  camp.     And  the  people  cried 
unto  Moses;    and  "when  Moses  prayed   unto  the   Lord,  the  fire  was   ^quenched. 

3  And  he  called  the  name  of  the  place  *Taberah :  because  the  fire  of  the  Lord  burnt 
among  them. 


1  Or,  were,  as  it  were,  complamers. 
»  Heb.  sunk. 


2  Heb.  it  was  evil  in  the  ears  of. 
*  That  is,  A  burning. 


»  And  the  people  were  as  those  that  complain  of  evil  in  the  ears  of  Jehovah. 

devoured  in  the  region  (De  Wettb  and  Zunz:  at  the  extremity)  of  the  camp. 
'  omit  when. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 

Vera.  1-3.  The  revelation  of  destruction  begins 
small,  viz.,  with  ambiguous  utterances  of  a  mur- 
muring disposition,  as  at  something  evil ;  a  dis- 
position that  reaches  the  ears  of  God,  not  as 
prayer,  but  as  unsanctified  utterances.  The 
punishment  is  as  obscurely  expressed  as  is  the 
charge  of  fault.  Although  the  narrator  knows 
thai  a  fire  of  Jehovah  has  gone  forth  from  His 
wrath,  the  terrified  people  know  nothing  of  it 
when  a  conflagration  appears  at  the  extremity 
of  the  camp,  burning  ensues  in  the  extremest 
tents.  Then  the  people  also  cry  to  Moses,  while 
he  in  deliberate  fashion  makes  his  effective  in- 
tercession.    The  mysterious  connection  between 


the  fire  of  displeasure,  of  distraction,  of  anger 
and  outward  misfortune  of  every  sort,  especially 
ruinous  conflagration,  is  an  ancient  and  ever  new 
history.  Taberah  was  no  encampment  but  the 
burnt  place  at  the  first  encampment,  the  graves 
of  lust  (see  xxiii.  16,  17).  So  Keil  against 
Knobel. 

HOMILETICAL    HINTS. 

Religious  and  moral  causes  of  many  confla- 
grations: discontent,  excitement,  want  of  spi- 
ritual wakefulness  and  moral  vigilance.  The 
modern  Taberah,  or  the  crowd  of  conflagrations 
of  the  present  time.  [Moses  was  one  of  those 
worthies  who  by  faith  quenched  the  violence  of  fire 
(Heb,  xi.  34)  M.  "Henrt.— Tr.]. 


62  NUMBERS. 


B.— THE    HOMESICKNESS    FOR    EGYPT    AND   THE    GRAVES    OF   LUST    (THE   ELDERS 

AND  THE  QUAILS).     Chapter  XI.  4-35. 

4  Aiid  the  *mixed  multitude  that  was  among  them  ^fell  a  lusting  :  and  the  children 

5  of  Israel  also  Vept  again,  and  said,  Who  shall  give  us  flesh  to  eat  ?  We  remem- 
ber the  fish,  which  we  did  eat  in  Egypt  freely  ;  the  cucumbers,  and  the  melons, 

6  and  the  leeks,  and  the  onions,  and  the  garlic  :     But  now  our  soul  is  dried  away  : 

7  there  is  nothing  at  all,  "besides  this  manna,  before  our  eyes.     And  the  manna  was 

8  as  coriander  seed,  and  the  ^colour  thereof  as  the  'colour  of  bdellium.  And  the 
people  went  about,  and  gathered  it,  and  ground  it  in  mills,  or  beat  it  in  a  mortar, 
and  ''baked  it  in  *pans,  and  made  cakes  of  it :  and  the  taste  of  it  was  as  the  taste 

9  of  Tresh  oil.  And  when  the  dew  fell  upon  the  camp  in  the  night,  the  manna  fell 
upon  it. 

10  Then  Moses  heard  the  people  weep  throughout  their  families,  every  man  in  the 
door  of  his  tent :  and  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  greatly ;  ''Moses  also  was 

11  displeased.  And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  Wherefore  hast  thou  'afflicted  thy 
servant?  and  wherefore  have  I  not  found  favour  in  thy  sight,  that  thou  layest  the 

12  burden  of  all  this  people  upon  me  ?  Have  I  conceived  all  this  people  ?  have  I  be- 
gotten them,  that  thou  shouldest  say  unto  me,  Carry  them  in  thy  bosom,  as  a 
^nursing  father  beareth  the  sucking  child,  unto  the  land  which  thou  swarest  unto 

13  their  fathers  ?     Whence  should  I  have  flesh  to  give  unto  all  this  people  ?  for  they 

14  weep  unto  me,  saying.  Give  us  flesh,  that  we  may  eat.     I  am  not  able  to  bear  all 

15  this  people  alone,  because  it  is  too  heavy  for  me.  And  if  thou  deal  thus  with  me, 
kill  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  hand,  if  I  have  found  favour  in  thy  sight ;  and  let  me 
not  see  my  wretchedness. 

16  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Gather  unto  me  seventy  men  of  the  elders  of 
Israel,  whom  thou  knowest  to  be  the  elders  of  the  people,  and  officers  over  them ; 
and  bring  them  unto  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  that  they  may  stand  there 

17  with  thee.  And  I  will  come  down  and  talk  with  thee  there :  and  I  will  take  of  the 
spirit  which  is  upon  thee,  and  will  put  it  upon  them ;  and  they  shall  bear  the  bur- 

18  den  of  the  people  with  thee,  that  thou  bear  it  not  thyself  alone.  And  say  thou  unto 
the  people.  Sanctify  yourselves  against  to  morrow,  and  ye  shall  eat  flesh :  for  ye 
have  wept  in  the  ears  of  the  Lord,  saying.  Who  shall  give  us  flesh  to  eat  ?  for  it 
was  well  with  us  in  Egypt :  therefore  the  Lord  will  give  you  flesh,  and  ye  shall 

19  eat.     Ye  shall  not  eat  one  day,  nor  two  days,  nor  five  days,  neither  ten  days  nor 

20  twenty  days ;  But  even  a  ^whole  month,  until  it  come  out  at  your  nostrils,  and  it 
be  loathsome  unto  you :  because  that  ye  have  despised  the  Lord  which  is  among 

21  you,  and  have  wept  before  him,  saying.  Why  came  we  forth  out  of  Egypt  ?  And 
Moses  said,  The  people,  among  whom  I  am,  are  six  hundred  thousand  footmen  ; 

22  and  thou  hast  said,  I  will  give  them  flesh,  that  they  may  eat  a  *whole  month.  Shall 
"the  flocks  and  "the  herds  be  slain  for  them,  to  suffice  them  ;  or  shall  all  the  fish 

23  of  the  sea  be  gathered  together  for  them,  to  suffice  them  ?  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses,  Is  the  Lord's  hand  waxed  short  ?  thou  shalt  see  now  whether  my  word  shall 
come  to  pass  unto  thee  or  not. 

24  And  Moses  went  out,  and  told  the  people  the  words  of  the  Lord,  and  gathered 
"the  severity  men  of  the  elders  of  the  people,  and  set  them  round  about  the  "taber- 

25  nacle.  And  the  Lord  came  down  in  a  cloud,  and  spake  unto  him,  and  took  of  the 
spirit  that  was  upon  him,  and  gave  it  unto  the  seventy  ^ciders  :  and  it  came  to  pass, 

26  that,  when  the  spirit  rested  upon  them,  they  prophesied,  "land  did  not  cease.  But 
there  remained  two  of  the  men  in  the  camp,  the  name  of  the  one  was  Eldad,  and  the 
name  of  the  other  Medad  :  and  the  spirit  rested  upon  them  ;  and  they  were  of  them 
that  were  written,  but  went  not  out  unto  the    tabernacle  :  and  they  prophesied  in 


CHAP.  XI.  4-35.  63 


27  the  camp.     And  there  ran  a  young  man,  and  told  Moses,  and  said,  Eldad  and 

28  Medad  do  prophesy  in  the  camp.     And  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  the  servant  of 

29  Moses,  ^one  of  his  young  men,  answered  and  said,  My  lord  Moses,  forbid  them.  And 
Moses'said  unto  him,  'Enviest  thou  for  my  sake  ?  would  God  that  all  the  Lord's 

30  people  were  prophets,  and  that  the  Lord  would  put  his  Spirit  upon  them.  And 
Moses  gat  him  into  the  camp,  he  and  the  elders  of  Israel. 

31  And  there  went  forth  a  wind  from  the  Lord,  and  brought  quails  from  the  sea, 
and  let  them  fall  by  the  camp,  *as  it  were  a  day's  journey  on  this  side,^  and  ^as  it 
were  a  day's  journey  on  the  other  side,  round  about  the  camp,  and  as  it  were  two 

•32  cubits  high  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  And  the  people  stood  up  all  that  day,  and 
all  that  night,  and  all  the  next  day,  and  they  gathered  the  quails  :  he  that  gathered 
least  gathered  ten  homers  :  and  they  'spread  them  all  abroad  for  themselves  round 

33  about'^the  camp.  And  while  the  flesh  was  yet  between  their  teeth,  ere  it  was  chewed, 
the  wrath  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  the  people,  and  the  Lord  smote  the 

34  people  with  a  very  great  "plague.     And  he  called  the  name  of  that  place  ^Kibroth- 

35  hattaavah :  because  there  they  buried  the  people  that  lusted.  And  the  people 
journeyed  from  Kibroth-hattaavah  unto  Hazeroth ;  and  'abode  at  Hazeroth. 

1  Heb.  lusted  a  lust.  «  Heb.  returned  and  wept.  I  Heb    eye  of  it  as  the  eye  of. 

*  Heb.  month  of  days.  *  Heb.  as  it  were  the  way  of  a  day.  «  That  is,  The  graves  of  lust. 

'  Heb.  they  were  in,  etc. 

»  rabble  *  only  on  the  manna  our  eyes  (are  turned,  Zunz).  "=  appearance. 

d  boiledl  •  the  pot.  '  ojl  cakes. 

f  ly_  h  and  in  the  eyes  of  Moses  it  was  evil.  '  done  evil  to. 

^man-nurse.  ^  Tent  of  Meeting. 

m  small  and  qreat  cattle  (De  Wette,  and  commonly :  sheep  and  cattle).  »  omit  the. 

"  Tent.  ^  men,  the  elders. 

q  but  not  longer  (De  Wette  :  since  then  not  again  ;  Bunsen,  Luthek,  as  the  A.  V.,  see  Te.rt.  and  Gram.). 

»  from  his  youth  up  [  from  his  elite  ;      see  Text,  and  Gram.—TR.].  •  Art  thou  jealous. 

»  spread  themselves  out  round  about  the  camp.  i  De  W  ette  :  overthrow. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

fVer.  15.  i^r\  infin.  absol.  repeated  after  the  same  verb,  expresses  here  impetuous  procedure,  killing  at  once. 

T 

EwALD,  ?  280  b. 

Ver.  25.  ^£30^    }{Sl  is  correctly  rendered  by  the  LXX.,  Kal  oix  in  irpotrieevTo ;  tlie  A.  V.  has  the  support  of  the 

T 

Vulgate.  1 

Ver.  27.  IJJjn.  the  article  denotes  that  the  noun  is  taken  in  a  generic  or  universal  sense;  comp.  t3'73n  Gen. 

xiv.  13 ;  nbnn  Exod.  iv.  2,  EwALi),  §  277.  a :  Green,  §  245,  5.    So  the  Greek  and  we  say  "  the  hireling  seeth  the  wolf 

coming,"  Jno.  X.  12. 

Ver.  28.  Vin30  :  Lanoe,  Keil,  Fueest,  Lex.  sub.  voc.  take  D'^naas  equivalent  to  nnpa  (Eccl.xi.  9  ;  xii.l)  the 

plural  for  the  abstract  "youth,"  from  a  root  nn2  "  to  mature."  This  is  favored  by  the  Chald.,  Parap.  and  many 
interpreters.  The  LXX.  renders  it  o  tK\eKT6(T,  Vulg.  electus  epluribus,  thus  taking  it  as  Kal.  pass.  part,  from  nn3 
"to  choose"  (so  Deusius).  This  agrees  with  the  first  mention  of  Joshua.  Exod.  xvii.  9,  where,  first  chosen  of 
Moses  himself  at  Rephidim,  he  is  deputed  to  choose  combatants  to  fight  the  Amalekites.  The  word  may  even 
refer  to  the  seventy  now  gathered,  and  affirm  that  Joshua  was  one  of  those  chosen.  "  He  was  nearly  forty  years 
old  when  he  saw  the  ten  plagues,"  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.  art.  Joshua.  He  might  at  this  period  be  called  a  young  man 
(so  the  A.  v.).  But  adopted  as  Moses'  servant  not  earlier  than  in  his  fortieth  year,  he  could  not  be  said  to  have 
served  him  "from  his  youth  "  (Maurer,  Lanoe,  Keil).  It  would  anyway  be  unsuitable  to  so  describe  a  service  of 
such  recent  commencement.    The  rendering  "from  his  chosen  ones"  or  elite  seems  preferable.    Comp.  1in3. 

Ps.  Ixxxix.  20. 

Ver.  32.  According  to  the  K'thibh  iSj^n  ;  according  to  the  K'ri  vSu'Tl  — Te.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  The  occasion  of  the  second,  greater  visitation. 
The  sullen  temper  of  the  congregation  was  not 
subdued  by  the  first  visitation,  but  assumes  now 
a  particularly  dangerous,  elegiac  character.  Not 
only  will  the  people  not  go  forward,  but  they  will 
return  home  to  the  flesh  pots.  The  God-forget- 
ting yearning  after  pleasure,  after  the  fancied, 
idealized  pleasure  of  the  world,  that  has  become 
a  sympathetic  power  of  seduction,  has,  by  the 


spirit  of  faith,  been  justly  taken  as  an  allegorical 
tvpe  of  all  kindred  outbreaks  of  base  despondency 
in  the  church  of  God.  "  Looking  back  and  long- 
ing for  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt  "  is  the  expressive 
name  for  this.  In  thinking  of  their  present  trou- 
bles and  privations,  they  entirely  lost  sight  of 
the  great  deliverance  from  Egyptian  bondage  and 
of  all  Jehovah's  miraculous  guidance  to  the  pre- 
sent time.  On  the  other  hand,  the  idea  of  the 
enjoyments  of  Egypt,  in  which  the  people  had 
had  but  a  very  meagre  share,  swells  in  their 
imagination  into  an  illusive  picture  of  lavish  de- 


64 


NUMBERS. 


lights  in  the  lap  of  abundance.  ["  The  mixed 
muliitude,"  with  whom  the  discontent  began,  may 
have  had  a  large  share  in  the  abundance  of 
Egypt ;  and  even  the  Israelites  themselves  doubt- 
less had  abundance  of  the  things  enumerated  in 
the  text.— Tr.]. 

2.  I'he  outburst  of  wicked  longing.  The  children 
of  Israel  wept  again  ;  comp.  Exod.  xvi.  3,  which 
tells  of  an  occasion  when  they  wept  before,  at 
least  inwardly.  Now,  however,  the  weeping  be- 
comes almost  a  litany.  First,  as  regards  the  ob- 
ject of  their  longing;  meat,  fish,  cucumbers, 
melons,  leeks,  onions,  garlic  [see  the  corres- 
ponding articles  in  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.,  and  Kno- 
BEL  and  Keil  in  loc.  The  Author  passes  them 
with  a  similar  reference. — Tr.].  Second,  the 
subjective  disposition:  feeling  of  debility — no- 
thing but  manna  is  here  ;  why  unsatisfying  ?  On 
the  manna  see  on  Exod.  xvi.  14  [and  Smith's 
Bib.  Dict.l — All  the  branches  of  the  tribes  catch 
the  contagion, — they  weep  before  the  doors  of 
their  tents. 

3.  The  guilt  of  the  people  before  Jehovah  and  the 
distress  of  Moses.  The  question,  how  did  Jeho- 
vah's wrath  express  itself?  presents  no  difficulty 
to  the  exegetes  that  write:  "The  whole  bearing 
of  Moses  shows,  that  two  things  excited  his  dis- 
pleasure at  once,  not  only  the  people's  inconsi- 
derate insurrection  against  Jehovah,  but  also  Je- 
hovah's inconsiderate  ( !  )  anger  at  the  people 
(Kurtz,  Keil).  As  if  Moses  as  a  prophet  had 
not  felt  the  whole  wrath  of  Jehovah  in  his  in- 
most soul,  and  that  with  the  feeling  that  all  was 
up,  or  that  it  seemed  to  be  all  up  with  this  peo- 
ple and  his  whole  mission  to  them. 

And,  in  fact,  this  was  one  of  the  greatest  defeats 
of  the  people  of  God,  a  moment  far  more  discon- 
solate than  the  history  of  the  golden  calf,  or  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem;  a  moment  that,  in  re- 
ference to  the  despair  of  the  people  of  God,  re- 
peated itself  as  a  type  in  the  crucifixion  of  Christ, 
and  in  reference  to  the  feeling  of  Moses,  re- 
peated itself  in  the  feeling  of  Jesus  in  the 
Garden  of  Getbsemane.  Was  Moses  to  go  to  Ca- 
naan, conquer  the  promised  land,  found  the  king- 
dom of  God,  with  the  people  in  this  state  of 
mind?  If  the  character  of  heathenism  reveals 
itself  in  a  longing  of  the  fleshly  mina  for  the  lost 
golden  age,  for  the  old  saturnalia,  so  here  there 
burst  forth  an  intensified  heathenism  in  Israel 
itself;  an  elegiac  retrorsum,  by  which  at  a  later 
period  Israel  lost  the  New  Testament,  by  which 
the  more  recent  Romanticism  made  of  its  longing 
for  the  Middle  Ages  an  elegiac  poesy,  and  which 
j'lst  in  the  most  modern  tendencies  of  the  pre- 
sent time  takes  the  form  of  an  absolute  retrorsum. 

But  if  Moses  does  not  here  simply  rush  in  with 
intercession,  as  he  did  at  Sinai  when  the  Golden 
Calf  was  set  up,  the  explanation  is,  that  the  pre- 
sent trial  is  much  greater,  and  becomes  a  temp- 
tation to  himself  by  reason  of  his  sympathy  f  jr 
the  gloominess  and  lamentation  of  the  sorrowing 
people.  It  would  really  seem  to  him  now  as  if 
it  were  impossible,  with  this  pitiful  people,  to 
found  a  kingdom  of  God.  Corresponding  to  this 
is  his  complaint  to  Jehovah,  ver.  11.  Shall  he 
bear  the  burden  of  this  whole  people,  i.  e.,  the 
burden  of  a  people  that  weighs  so  heavily  ?  That 
seems  to  him  in  conflict  with  the  compassion  of 
God.     The  people  behave  like  a  screaming,  self- 


willed  infant  in  swaddling-clothes.  No  prophet 
can,  in  this  way,  bear  a  whole  nation  into  the 
inheritance  of  a  great  promise  of  world-wide  im- 
portance. On  this  Knobel  makes  the  characteris- 
tic remark  :  "  the  author  has  a  fancy  for  making 
him  use  such  vehement  language  to  God,"  (p.  51). 
Jehovah  understands  his  Moses  better.  He  must 
really  be  helped.  The  thing  of  first  importance 
is  to  raise  up  again  the  courage  of  the  people! 
Moses  would  rather  die  than  see  the  people  go 
to  ruin  in  this  condition.  His  mood  reminds 
one  of  Hagar  in  the  desert;  she  cannot  see  her 
languishing  child  die.  They  weep  to  me,  he 
complains;   his  heart  is  ready  to  break. 

4.  The  first  relief .  The  prospect  of  miraculous 
help  that  Moses  now  enjoys  is  increased  sevenfold. 
The  order  for  Moses  to  summon  before  the  Tent 
seventy  men  of  the  elders  of  Israel,  that 
are  at  the  same  time  officers,  is  joined  with  the 
announcement  to  the  peopls :  to-morrow,  and 
from  to-morrow  onwards  for  a  whole  month  shall 
ye  eat  flesh — eat  to  loathing. 

It  is  evident  that  the  present  has  nothing  to 
do  with  the  seventy  associate  judges  whom  .Mo- 
ses instituted  at  Sinai  (Exod.  xvii.),  as  Keil 
has  clearly  proved  in  opposition  to  Knobkl. 
Still  less  has  it  any  conupction  with  laying  the 
foundation  of  the  Sanhedrim  of  later  times. 
See  the  particulars  in  Keil  in  loc.  But  it  Is 
also  evident  that  the  present  has  nothing  to  do 
with  prophesying  men  in  general;  least  of  all 
would  speaking  with  tongues  have  been  of  any 
service  to  the  people  in  their  then  situation. 
The  appointment  of  the  men  relates  to  the  pro- 
mise given  to  the  people:  to-morrow  ye  shall 
eat  flesh.  Jehovah  •will  put  on  the  seventy 
men  of  the  spirit  •which  is  upon  Moses. 
A  distribution  of  the  spirit  into  seventy  parts  is 
out  of  the  question.  Keil  justly  rejects  this 
representation,  as  also  a  similar  one  of  Calvin's 
(it  was  a  "sign  of  indignation"  against  Moses), 
and  appeals  to  Theodoret's  explanation:  from 
one  flame  a  thousand  may  be  kimlled  without 
diminishing  the  former.  Just  as  little,  accord- 
ing to  the  context,  has  the  present  anything  to 
do  with  a  general  and  abiding  appointment,  as 
has  already  been  remarked.  But  to  the  pro- 
mise of  enjoying  flesh  for  an  entire  month  is 
joined  already  a  slight  threat:  until  it  come 
out  at  your  nose  is  explained  by  the  addition: 
and  it  be  loathsome  to  you.  Keil  takes 
this  literally :  their  vomiting  shall  not  only 
drive  the  flesh  out  of  their  mouth,  but  also  out 
of  their  nose.  Mo«es  still  doubts:  six  hundred 
thousand  men  shall  have  enough  meat  for  an 
entire  month?  That  would  require  them  to 
slaughter  all  their  herds.  The  addition:  or 
shall  all  the  fish  of  the  sea  be  gathered 
together  for  them,  is  not  without  significance 
as  to  their  place  of  encampment.  But  Jehovah 
demands  of  Moses  unconditional  faith  in  His 
omnipotence,  and  therewith  in  His  promise. 
Moses  believes  and  obeys. 

The  seventy  men  stood  round  about  the 
Tent  in  a  semi-circle  (thus  Keil  interprets 
nJ'3D,  ver.  24),  and  the  sign  with  which 
Jehovah  effected  the  spiritual  anointing  consists 
in  this,  that  He  comes  down  on  him  with  the 
cloud,    that    at   other   times   rose   directly  up. 


CHAP.  XI.  4-35. 


65 


That  the  cloud  was  not  moved  by  the  wind  is  a 
negation  of  importance  only  to  that  supra-natu- 
ralism that  supposes  it  must  deny  secondary 
causes.  There  ivas  even  a  strong  south  wind 
used,  not  only  to  bring  on  the  abundance  of 
quails,  but  also  to  cast  them  on  the  camp. 
Moses  understood  the  harmonia  priestabilita  be- 
tween the  kingdom  of  nature  and  the  kingdom 
of  grace  under  divine  illumination.  It  was  a 
solitary  factor  in  the  history  of  the  world,  as 
was  the  passage  through  the  Red  Sea.  The 
army  of  God  must  go  on  and  on,  and  it  has  gone 
o'luard  from  that  day  to  the  present.  The 
inspired  hope  blazed  up  anew  in  Moses,  and  in 
the  whole  troop  of  his  assistants.  The  latter 
prophesied  in  this  solitary  situation,  and  not 
again  afterwards.  What  they  prophesied  is  for 
our  informant  something  too  plain  to  need  state- 
ment. The  fire  of  hope  even  flew  from  the  Ta- 
bernacle and  the  main  gathering  away  over  the 
camp.  Two  of  the  men  that  had  been  summoned 
had  remained  in  the  camp,  Eldad  ("God  is 
friend")  and  Medad  (friendship);  but  even 
there  they  began  to  prophesy.  On  hearing  this 
Joshua  showed  great  zeal;  they  seemed  not  to 
be  ordained  by  his  honored  master;  Moses 
should  forbid  them.  The  great  answer  of  Moses: 
•wilt  thou  be  a  zealot  for  me  ?  has  been 
disregarded  by  all  hierarchs  from  that  time  to 
the  present.  It  is  clear  to  the  sincere  prophet 
that  at  this  moment  Joshua  is  not  zealous  for 
God.  It  has  been  usual  at  this  place  to  call  to 
mind  the  sons  of  Thunder  (Mar.  ix.  38);  many 
a  confessionalist  may  as  properly  be  called  to 
mind.  Would  that  all  the  Lord's  people 
■were  prophets,  that  the  Lord  would  put 
His  Spirit  upon  them!  Moses  now  returns 
into  the  camp  with  the  elders,  also  the  people 
are  to  sanctify  themselves  against  the  following 
morning. 

5.  The  quails  and  (he  graves  of  lust.  Comp. 
Exod.  xvi.  "Here,  too,  is  meant  a  spring  mi- 
gration from  south  to  north  that  happens  in  the 
second  month,  or  about  May  (x.  11).  The  wind 
•was  from  the  south-east  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  26),  and 
blew  from  the  Elanitic  gulf.  Quails  depend 
much  on  the  wind  in  their  flight;  especially  in 
harvest,  when  they  are  very  fat,  on  the  north 
•wind,"  etc.  (Knobel),  Thus  the  wind  that 
Jehovah  sent  spread  the  quails  over  the  camp 
a  day's  journey  hither  and  a  day's  jour- 
ney thither,  that  must  mean:  in  every  direc- 
tion, or  in  length  and  breadth,  but  not:  "so 
that  on  both  sides  they  fell  to  the  ground  a  day's 
journey  in  breadth"  (Keil),  thus  right  and  left 
by  the  camp.  Moreover  the  representation 
about  tw^o  cubits  above  the  face  of  the 
earth,  is  not  to  be  taken  as  meaning  that  they 
''lay  two  cubits  deep  piled  on  one  another."  A 
flight  of  quails  never  so  fatigued  might  spread 
itself  over  the  ground  ;  still  it  would  not  fall  as 
if  dead,  one  on  another,  two  cubits  deep.  Lite- 
rally then  it  would  need  to  mean :  two  days' 
journey  in  length  and  breadth,  they  lay  two 
cubits  on  top  of  each  other.  That  would  have 
been  provision  for  many  years ;  but  then,  too, 
it  would  have  crushed  in  the  tents  of  the  Israel- 
ites. Therefore  Keil  adds  :  naturally  not  every- 
•where  in  the  space  indicated,  but  primarily  near 
the  camp,  and  in  spots  about  two  cubits  high. 
5 


But  a  literal  construction  does  not  permit  this 
restriction.  Here  even  the  Vulgate,  along  with 
many  Rabbins,  stands  up  for  a  vivid  and  natural 
construction :  volabant  in  aere  duabus  cubitis  alii- 
iudine  super  terram,  against  the  construction  of 
Keil,  who  follows  Michaelis.  Bochart  repre- 
sents an  explanation  still  more  supra-natural- 
istic :  the  quails  lay  perhaps  in  rows  two  cubits 
deep,  so  that  the  Israelites  in  gathering  them 
may  have  gone  between.  But  it  is  certainly 
allowable  to  understand  the  verb   'dl3}  as  mean. 

-   T 

ing,  not  a  literal  throwing,  but  flinging,  in  the 
way  that  a  strong  wind  would  do.  Had  they 
been  spread  out  a  day's  journey  on  either  side 
of  the  camp,  then  the  gathering  could  not  have 
been  done  in  two  days  and  the  intervening 
night.  He  that  gathered  least  gathered 
ten  homers;  according  to  the  reckoning  of 
Thenius  nearly  two  bushels  [Dresden  measure. 
See  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary,  art.  Weights  and 
3Ieasures.  See  ibid.,  art.  Quails:  " There  is  every 
reason  for  believing  that  the  'homers'  here 
spoken  of  denote  simply  'a  heap:'  this  is  the 
explanation  given  by  Onkelos  and  the  Arabic 
versions  of  Saadias  and  Erpenius,  in  Num.  x. 
31."  Considering  the  uncertainty  about  Hebrew 
measures  of  this  early  date,  we  cannot  look  to 
the  homer  as  a  definite  factor  in  judging  of  this 
aecount.  The  phenomenon  seems  to  have  been 
a  two  days'  flight  of  quail.  The  unique  Hebrew 
phrase  literally  translated  is:  as  the  •way  of 
a  day  thus,  and  as  the  "way  of  a  day  thus. 

The  comparison  implied  in  ri3,  "thus,  or  so," 
may  be  to  the  description  of  the  flight  of  quail 
in  the  preceding  clause.  The  phrase  seems  bet- 
ter suited  to  describe  the  passage  of  the  quail 
than  anything  else.  '^7.!!>  "^  way,"  as  a  rule, 
takes  its  definition  from  the  subject  with  which 
it  is  joined.  Comp.  Job  xxxviii.  19,  24,  25; 
"the  way  of  light,"  "the  way  of  lightning." 
In  the  present  case,  then,  it  would  not  denote  a 
space  or  area  at  all,  but  a  course  or  flight.  The 
only  measure  of  the  phenomenon,  then,  is  that 
enough  was  gathered  for  a  month's  use  for  this 
mighty  multitude.  Unless  "away"  be  restricted 
to  the  quails  for  its  definition,  we  have  no  defi- 
nition. For  it  cannot  be  decided  whether  the 
"day's  journey"  means  that  of  a  multitude,  or 
of  a  man,  or  of  a  man  on  a  camel  (see  Bush  in 
loc).  It  agrees  with  this  view  when  it  is  stated 
that  the  people  stood  up  all  that  day  and 
all  the  night  and  all  the*  next  day,  and 
they  gathered  the  quails.  The  passage  lasted 
two  days  and  the  intervening  night,  and  so  long 
the  "killing"  lasted.  Israelites  would  not 
gather  what  had  died  of  itself  (Lev.  xxii.  8). — 
Tr.]  When  it  is  said  that  the  provisions  were 
heaped  about  the  camp,  it  does  not  mean  that 
the  quails  fell  only  about  the  camp.  The  camp 
itself  formed  a  narrow  circuit,  the  periphery  of 
the  quail-fall  a  wider :  but  the  quail-fall  covered 
both. 

The  narrative  hastens  on  to  the  judgment. 
The  flesh  -was  yet  between  their  teeth: 
that  can  mean:  hardly  had  they  begun  to  eat 
the  flesh ;  but  it  may  also  mean,  it  had  not  yet 
ceased.  Only  the  latter  can  be  intended,  for 
otherwise  the  whole  feeding  would  have  been 
illusory.     The  explanation :   "they  had  not  yet 


66 


NUxMBERS. 


chewed  it,"  mars  the  vivid  expression.  Keil 
and  Knobel  differ  widely  in  regard  to  the  mor- 
tal punishment.     "This  overthrow  (H^O)  must 

not  be  regarded  as  the  effect  of  an  immoderate 
use  of  the  quails,  and  because  quails  feed  on 
thiugs  that  are  noxious  to  men,  so  that  the  use 
of  their  meat  brings  on  convulsions  and  dizziness 
(see  the  proofs  in  Bocuart,  Hieroz.  II.,  p.  657 
sqq.),  as  Knobel  supposes,  but  an  extraordinary 
judicial  punishment  brought  on  the  people  by 
God  for  their  lusting  "  (Keil).  The  test  takes 
the  medium  between  these  two,  even  by  the  ex- 
pression graves  of  lust,  and  with  the  remark: 
there  they  buried  the  people  that  lusted. 
Indeed,  the  connection  between  sin  and  punish- 
ment, strong  appetite  and  intemperance  (espe- 
cially, we  may  suppose,  among  the  rabble,  with 
whom  the  commotion  originated),  appears  here 
too  plain  for  one  to  suppose  that  it  will  glorify 
the  miracle  to  rupture  this  connection  with  vio- 
lence. 

[The  nausea  resulting  from  a  month's  conse- 
cutive use  of  quails  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
mortality  attending  the  present  use.  Keil,  with 
whom  many  agree,  is  right  in  referring  the  lat- 
ter to  a  direct  judgment  of  God.  The  text  says 
nothing  of  greedy  or  immoderate  use  of  the 
meat.  It  was  the  moral  quality  of  the  lusting 
that  was  punished.  The  nausea,  moreover, 
would  be  no  proof  of  immoderate  use  of  the  food, 
except  in  the  sense  that  every-day  use  of  such 
meat  is  immoderate.  It  is  a  familiar  fact  among 
bird-huntei'S  (or  often  alleged  to  be  such)  that 
no  one  can  eat  a  pheasant  daily  for  a  month. 
Revolting  makes  it  impossible.  We  may  sup- 
pose the  same  would  be  true  of  quails  in  the 
east,  especially  considering  also  the  cuisine  of 
thp  desert. — Tr.] 

6.  Supplementary  remarlcs.  The  slighting  of 
the  manna  occasions  a  repeated  description  of 
it  (vers.  4-8;  comp.  Exod.  xvi. :  Num.  xxi.  5). 
In  regard  to  the  relation  of  these  seventy  men 
out  of  the  elders  to  the  elders  that  Moses  ap- 
pointed, Exod.  xix.,  the  following  distinctions 
nppeir  manifest:  (1)  judges  and  prophets;  (2) 
standing  officers,  and  those  that  were  called  to 
render  an  extraordinary  assistance.  The  num- 
ber seventy  goes  all  through  the  Holy  Scripture 
as  symbolical  of  the  total  of  the  nation.  Ac- 
cording to  the  expression  of  Moses,  ver.  22, 
about  the  fish  of  the  sea,  we  must  suppose  that 
the  locality  ''graves  of  lust"  was  not  far  from 
the  Elnnitic  gulf.  The  remark  of  Keil:  what 
could  be  the  use  of  such  a  detour?  overlooks 
th'!  difficulties  that  a  great  expedition  had  to 
encounter  in  the  desert,  seeing  it  was  condi- 
tioned on  pasturage  and  springs.  The  situation 
of  the  graves  of  lust  is  unknown,  and  there  are 
only  indefinite  conjectures  in  regard  to  Haze- 
roth. 

[K.  H.  Palmer  [Desert  of  the  Exodus)  tliinks 
he  has  identified  Kibroth-hattaavah.  He  thus 
describes  his  discovery  (p.  212  sq.):  "A  little 
further  on,  and  upon  the  water-shed  of  Wady  el 
Ih.beibeh,  we  came  to  some  remains  which,  al- 
tiiough  they  had  hitherto  escaped  even  a  passing 
notice  from  previous  travellers,  proved  to  be 
among  the  most  interesting  in  the  country.  The 
piece  of  elevated  ground  wbiob  forms  this  water- 


shed is  called  by  the  Arabs  Erweis  el  Ebeirig, 
and  is  covered  with  small  inclosures  of  stones.' 
These  are  evidently  the  remains  of  a  large  en- 
campment; but  they  differ  essentially  in'' their 
arrangement  from  any  others  which  1  have  seen 
iu  Sinai  or  elsewhere  in  Arabia;  and  on  the 
summit  of  a  small  hill  on  the  right  is  an  erec- 
tion of  rough  stones  surmounted  by  a  conspicu- 
ous white  block  of  pyramidal  shape.  These 
remains  extend  for  miles  around,  and,  on  ex- 
amining them  more  carefully  during  a  second 
visit  to  the  Peninsula  with  Mr.  Drake,  we  found 
our  first  impressions  fully  confirmed,  and  col- 
lected abundant  proofs  that  it  was  in  reality  a 
deserted  camp.  The  small  stones  which  for- 
merly served,  as  they  do  in  the  present  day,  for 
hearths,  in  many  places  still  showed  signs  of 
the  action  of  fire,  and  on  digging  beneath  the 
surface,  we  found  pieces  of  charcoal  in  great 
abundance.  Here  and  there  were  larger  inclo- 
sures marking  the  encampment  of  some  person 
more  important  than  the  rest,  and  just  outside 
the  camp  were  a  number  of  stone  heaps,  which, 
from  their  shape  and  position,  could  be  nothing 
else  but  graves.  The  site  is  a  most  commanding 
one,  and  admirably  suited  for  the  assembling 
of  a  large  concourse  of  people. 

"Arab  tradition  declares  these  curious  re- 
mains to  be  '  the  relics  of  a  large  Pilgrim  or 
Hajj  caravan,  who  in  remote  ages  pitched  their 
tents  at  this  spot  on  their  way  to  'Ain  Hudherah, 
and  who  were  soon  afterwards  lost  in  the  desert 
of  the  Tih,  and  never  heard  of  again.' 

"  For  various  reasons,  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
that  this  legend  is  authentic,  that  it  refers  to  the 
Israelites,  and  that  we  have  in  the  scattered 
stones  of  Erweis  el  Ebeirig  real  traces  of  the 
Exodus. 

"Firstly:  they  are  said  tahu,  to  have  'lost 
their  way,'  the  Arabic  verb  from  which  the 
name  Tih,  or  '  Wilderness  of  the  Wanderings'  is 
derived.'  Secondly  :  they  are  described  as  a 
Hajj  caravan.  At  the  first  glance  this  would 
seem  an  anachronism,  as  the  word  is  employed 
exclusively  by  the  Muslims,  and  applied  to  their 
own  annual  pilgrimage  to  Mecca.  But  this  very 
term  owes  its  origin  to  the  Hebrew  Hagg,  which 
signifies  'a  festival,'  and  is  the  identical  word 
used  in  Exod.  x.  9  to  express  the  ceremony 
which  the  children  of  Israel  alleged  as  their 
reason  for  wishing  to  leave  Egypt — namely  : 
'  to  hold  a  feast  unto  the  Lord  in  the  wilderness.' 
It  could  not  apply  to  the  modern  Mohammedan 
Hajj  caravan,  for  that  has  never  passed  this 
way,  and  would  not  under  any  circumstances 
find  it  necessary  to  go  to  ^ Ain  Hudherah ;  but 
the  children  of  Israel  did  journey  to  Hazeroth, 
and  the  tradition  is  therefore  valuable  in  deter- 
mining tiie  latter  site,  as  well  as  their  subse- 
quent route  on  leaving  the  Peninsula.  The 
length  of  time  which  has  elapsed  since  the  events 
of  the  Exodus  furnishes  no  argument  against 
the  probability  of  this  conclusion,  for  there  are 
other  monuments  in  the  country  in  even  better 
preservation,  and  of  a  date  indisputably  far  an- 
terior. It  is  a  curious  fact  that,  if  you  ask 
twenty  different  Arabs  to  relate  to  you  one  of 
their  national  legends,  they  will  do  so  in  pre- 
cisely the  same  words,  thus  showing  with  what 
wonderful  precision   oral   tradition  is  handed 


CHAP,  XI.  4-35. 


67 


down  from  generation  to  generation  among 
them. 

"These  Considerations,  the  distance  (exactly  a 
day's  journey)  from  'Ain  Hudherah,  and  these 
mysterious  graves  outside  the  camp,  to  my  mind 
prove  conclusively  the  identity  of  the  spot  with 
the  scene  of  that  awful  plague  by  which  the 
Lord  punished  the  greed  and  discontent  of  His 
people  (Num.  xi.  33-35.)" 

The  same  author  identifies  Hazeroth  with  'Ain 
Hudherah  as  Bobinson  and  others  before  him. 
But  previous  travellers  have  looked  at  it  only 
from  a  distance.  Palmer  explored  the  very 
spot  and  thus  describes  it :  "  Through  a  steep 
rugged  gorge,  with  almost  perpendicular  sides, 
we  looked  down  upon  a  wady-bed  that  winds 
along  between  fantastic  sandstone  rocks,  now 
rising  in  the  semblance  of  mighty  walls  or  ter- 
raced palaces,  now  jutting  out  in  pointed  ridges 
— rocky  promontories  in  a  sandy  sea.  Beyond 
this  lies  a  perfect  forest  of  mountain  peaks  and 
chains,  and  on  their  left  a  broad  white  wady 
leads  up  toward  the  distant  mountains  of  Tih. 
But  the  great  charm  of  the  landscape  lies  in  the 
rich  and  varied  coloring;  the  sandstone,  save 
where  some  great  block  has  fallen  away  and  dis- 
played the  dazzling  whiteness  of  the  stone  be- 
neath, is  weathered  to  a  dull  red  or  violet  hue, 
through  which  run  streaks  of  brightest  yellow 
and  scarlet,  mixed  with  rich  dark  purple  tints. 
Here  and  there  a  hill  or  dike  of  greenstone,  or  a 
rock  of  rosy  granite,  contrasts  or  blends  harmo- 
niously with  the  rest ;  and  in  the  midst,  beneath 
a  lofty  clifi",  nestles  the  dark  green  palm-grove 
of  Hazeroth,"  ibid.  p.  217.  See  Bartlett: 
From  Egypt  to  Palestine,  Chap.  XIII. — Tr.] 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xi.  4.  The  beginning  of  the  patho- 
logical ill-humor  proceeds  from  a  common, 
dubious  crowd  that  joined  in  the  exodus  from 
Egypt,  probably  people  attached  by  marriage, 
bastards,  servants,  fortune-seekers  of  every  sort. 
Any    way,   the    theocratic- classical    conception 


of  the  rabble,  the  mongrel  mass,  the  scrapings 
CipSDXn)  presents  itself  here  as  quite  justified. 

The 'more  recent  morality  justly  forbids  our 
calling  the  humbler  people  a  rabble ;  but  on  the 
other  hand  the  eternal  morality  of  the  word  of 
God  is  also  justified  that  forbids  our  calling  the 
rabble  the  nation. 

["Hence  we  are  taught,  that  the  wicked  and 
sinful  should  be  avoided,  lest  they  should  cor- 
rupt us  by  their  bad  example  ;  since  the  con- 
tagion of  vice  easily  spreads.  At  the  same  time 
we  are  warned,  that  it  does  not  at  all  avail  to 
excuse  us,  that  others  are  the  instigators  of  our 
sin  ;  since  it  by  no  means  profited  the  Israelites, 
that  they  fell  through  the  influence  of  others, 
inasmuch  as  it  was  their  own  lust  which  carried 
them  away."  Calvin  in  loc.  See  his  entire 
comment  on  chap,  xi.,  which  is  admirable  for 
its  practical  applications. — Tr.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

The  longing  for  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt.  The 
illusions  regarding  a  bondage  from  which  they 
had  hardly  more  than  escaped.  Nunquam  re- 
trorsum. 

The  complaint  of  Moses.  The  fearful  burden 
rolled  on  the  hearts  of  those  that  are  faithful  by 
the  frivolity  and  worldly-mindedness  of  the  mass 
of  the  nation.  The  awakening  of  men  of  enthul- 
siastic  hope  in  Jehovah's  miraculous  help. 

Two  kinds  of  despair  :  despair  of  human  help, 
from  which  issues  new  hope  in  God's  miraculous 
help  ;  and  despair  of  God's  help,  which  also  de- 
prives human  help  of  its  power.  The  quails,  or 
the  way  of  all  animals  under  the  providence  of 
God. 

Eldad  and  Medad,  or  those  inspired  of  God 
beside  those  ordained,  and  the  contrast  between 
Joshua's  judgment  and  that  of  Moses  (comp. 
Luke  ix.  49,  50). 

The  punishment  in  granting  earthly  good  that 
is  impatiently  sought  after;  or  the  graves  of 
lust.     [See  M.  Henry  on  xi.  4-36. — Tr.] 


6 


C— MIRIAM  AND  AARON  AGAINST  MOSES.     MIRIAM'S  LEPROSY. 

Chap.  XII.  1-16. 


And  Miriam  and  Aaron  spake  against  Moses  because  of  the  ^Ethiopian  woman 
whom  he  had  ^married :  for  he  had  ^married  an  ^Ethiopian  woman.  And  they 
said,  Hath  the  Lord  indeed  spoken  only  by  Moses  ?  hath  he  not  spoken  also  by 
us  ?  And  the  Lord  heard  it.  (Now  the  man  Moses  was  very  meek,  above  all 
the  men  which  were  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.)  And  the  Lord  spake  suddenly 
unto  Moses,  and  unto  Aaron,  and  unto  Miriam,  Come  out  ye  three  unto  the  *taber- 
nacle  of  the  congregation.  And  they  three  came  out.  And  the  Lord  came  down 
in  the  pillar  of  the  cloud,  and  stood  in  the  door  of  the  "tabernacle,  and  called  Aaron 
and  Miriam  :  and  they  both  came  forth.  And  he  said.  Hear  now  my  words  :  If 
there  be  a  'prophet  among  you;  /  the  Lord  will  make  myself  known  unto  him  in  a 


NUMBERS. 


7  "\asion,  and  will  speak  unto  him  in  a  dream.     My  servant  Moses  is  not  so,  who  is 

8  faithful  in  all  mine  house.  With  him  *will  I  speak  mouth  to  mouth,  *even 
apparently,  and  not  in  dark  speeches ;  and  the  similitude  of  the  Lord  '^shall  he 
behold :  wherefore  then  were  ye  not  afraid  to  speak  against  my  servant  ^Moses  ? 

9,  10  And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  them  :  and  he  departed.  And 
the  cloud  "departed  from  off  the  tabernacle  ;  and,  behold,  Miriam  became  leprous, 
tvhite  as  snow :  and  Aaron  looked  upon   Miriam,  and,  behold,  she  tvas  leprous. 

11  And  Aaron  said  unto  Moses,  Alas,  my  lord,  I  beseech  thee,  lay  not  the  sin  upon 

12  us,  wherein  we  have  done  foolishly,  and  wherein  we  have  sinned.  Let  her  not  be 
as  one  dead,  of  whom  the  flesh  is  half  consumed  when  he  cometh  out  of  his  mother's 
womb.     And  Moses  cried  unto  the  Lord,  saying,  Heal  her  now,  O  God,  I  beseech 

thee. 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  If  her  father  had  but  spit  in  her  face,  should 
she  not  be  ashamed  seven  days  ?  let  her  be  ^shut  out  from  the  camp  seven  days, 
and  after  that  let  her  be  received  in  again.  And  Miriam  was  ''shut  out  from  the 
camp  seven  days  :  and  the  people  journeyed  not  till  Miriam  was  brought  in  again. 
16  And  afterward  the  people  removed  from  Hazeroth,  and  pitched  in  the  wilderness 
of  Paran. 


1o 
O 


14 


15 


1  Or,  Cushite. 

»  Tent  of  Meeting. 
4  omit  ivill. 
h  removed. 


b  Tent. 
•  and  as  an  appearance. 
s  turned. 


2  Heb.,  taken. 

'  prophet  of  Jehovah,  among  you,  I  make  myself,  etc. 

f  he  beholds.  e  against  Moses. 

k  shut  up  without  the,  etc.  '  received. 


[Ver.  6.  DDX'3J  =  UD^  X'3J.  the  nominal  suffix  standing  for  the  dative  of  tlie  personal  pronoun  ;  as  Gen 
xxxix.  21  l^n  1  Jl'l  '"  he  gave  his'  grace,"  for  "  he  gave>im  grace  ;"  comp.  Lev.  xv.  3.  Naegelsbach,  §  78,  1  c,  rem. 
Thus  also  X'33  stands  in  the  constr.  state  with  nin'  "  a  prophet  of  Jehovah  to  you."  So  also  Keil.  The  LXX. 
construes  nin'  with  X'33,  wpoc/jrJTrjs  t.fiwv  KvpCo>;  also  the  Vulg.— Tr.]. 

Ver.  13.  Ought  one,  instead  of  the  strange  form  NJ  bx,  to  read  with  Michaelis  and  others  SJ-^N?  It  might 
even  be  more  expressive  of  the  emotion  that  Moses^feit.  ["  The  connection  of  the  particle  KJ  with  Sx  is  cer- 
tainly unusual ;  but  yet  it  is  analogous  to  the  construction  with  such  exclamations  as  ■'IX  (Jer.  iv.  31 ;  xlv.  3),  and 
"lin  (Gen  xii.  11 ;  xvi.  2,  etc.) ;  since  Sx  in  the  vocative  is  to  be  regarded  as  equivalent  to  an  exclamation  ;  whereas 
the  alteration  into  S«  does  not  even  give  a  fitting  sense,  apart  altogether  from  the  fact  that  the  repetition  of  KJ 
after  the  verb,  with  KJ-bj<  before  it;  would  be  altogether  unexampled."  Keil.— Te.]. 

spiritual  intercession  when  opposed  to  the  con- 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  From  the  Graves  of  Lust  the  children  of 
Israel  inarched  to  Hazeroth,  where  they  abode 
for  a  season.  Here  Moses  had  to  sustain  an- 
other insurrection.  It  was  in  so  far  the  worst 
of  all  as  it  proceeded  from  his  own  brother  and 
sister,  Miriam  and  Aaron,  who  were  his  assist- 
ants, and  it  assumed  the  garb  of  a  higher  holi- 
ness by  virtue  of  which  they  would  supersede 
him,  or  at  least  would  assume  equal  rank.  Fe- 
male, fanatical  enthusiasm  and  ruffled  clericalism 
had  combined  against  his  freedom  of  spirit,  the 
word  of  God  and  his  vocation.  The  occasion  was 
a  marriage,  which  in  Israelitish  pride  they  re- 
garded as  an  objectionable,  mongrel  marriage  ; 
but  the  consequence  was  this,  that  they  were  at 
least  yjrophets  of  equal  authority,  who,  if  they 
did  even  let  him  be  of  account  in  their  college, 
could  conveniently  outvote  him.  Thus,  indeed, 
female  fanaticism  and  priestly  presumption  in 
combination  have  often  outvoted  the  representa- 
tives of  God's  word. 

Our  section  is  brief,  but  its  contents  are  rich 
in  relation  to  the  outbreaks  of  fanaticism,  to 
mixed  marriages,  the  forms  of  revelation,  the 
true  divine  interdicts  that  may  authenticate 
theocratic  sanctuaries,  and  the  higher  power  of 


damnatory  spirit  of  a  carnal  fanaticism. 

2.  And  Miriam,  ver.  1.  She  was  the  real 
instigator,  as  indeed,  time  out  of  mind,  sisters 
have  inclined  to  meddle  with  the  marriage  affairs 
of  their  brothers;  hence  the  form  ^31^^.  Aaron 
suffered  himself  to  be  carried  away,  as  he  had 
before  done  in  the  affair  of  the  golden  calf.  A 
fancy  for  images,  dependence  on  female  fanati- 
cism, meddling  with  the  marriage  rights  of  men 
has  ever  been  an  infirmity  of  priests. 

3.  Because  of  his  wife  the  Cushite, 
whom  he  had  married,  ver.  1.  According 
to  the  propensity  of  fanaticism  in  all  ages  to 
exaggerate,  to  caricature,  and  to  abuse,  one 
might  suppose  that  Zipporah  were  meant.  Such 
was  the  view  of  Calvin  and  many  others,  Kno- 
BEL  among  them,  for  whom  of  course  this  sup- 
position offers  the  opportunity  of  detecting  a 
contradiction.  But,  apart  from  the  fact  that  the 
matter  is  treated  as  something  quite  new,  it  is 
against  this  view  that  it  is  added  :  for  he  had 
married  a  Cushite.  This  latter,  therefore, 
makes  necessary  the  assumption  of  Michaelis, 
EwALi),  Keil  and  others,  that  Zipporah  had 
died  some  time  previously.  The  history  of 
Joseph  proved  that  marriage  with  an  Egyptian 
woman  was  not  antitheocratic.  The  prohibition 
to  marry  with  the  daughters  of  Canaan  had 
special  reasons   of    religious    self-preservation. 


CHAP.  XII.  1-16. 


69 


The  union  of  Moses  with  an  Ethiopian  wo- 
man has  been  ascribed  to  theological  motives. 
Baumgarten  conceives  the  motive  to  have  been, 
to  represent  the  fellowship  between  Israel  and 
the  heathen.  According  to  Gerlach  it  signified 
the  future  calling  of  the  Gentiles.  There  may 
be  more  reason  in  the  "Jewish  fabling,"  accord- 
ing to  which  the  Cushite  woman  was  in  the  train 
of  the  army  of  God  even  from  Egypt,  even  if  the 
statement  that  Moses  married  the  Ethiopian 
princess  Tharbis  in  Meroe,  before  the  Exodus 
(JosEPHUS,  Antiq.  2,  10,  2)  may  be  fabulous. 
That  a  feminine  spirit  out  of  heathendom  might 
be  carried  away  by  the  theocratic  hope  as  a 
disciple  of  Moses,  is  proved  by  the  history  of 
Tamar,  of  Rahab  and  of  Ruth.  It  is  true  that 
the  High-Priest  was  allowed  to  marry  only  a 
Hebrew  virgin  ;  but  that  was  a  limitation  be- 
longing to  his  symbolic  position,  and  the  remark 
that  Moses  for  this  reason  gave  up  all  claim  to 
the  priesthood  has  no  value.  The  prophetic 
class,  on  the  other  hand,  had  the  task  of  illus- 
trating the  greatest  possible  letting  down  of 
legal  restraint,  and  it  offers  a  remarkable  paral- 
lel that  the  next  greatest  man  of  the  law,  Elijah, 
lived  for  a  considerable  time  as  the  table  com- 
panion of  a  heathen  widow  of  Zarephath. 

4.  Hath  the  Lord  indeed  spoken  only 
by  Moses,  ver.  2.  They  appear  to  be  willing 
to  allow  him  still  co-ordination,  whereas  their 
mind  is  to  bring  about  the  subordination  of  the 
younger  brother.  Thus,  also,  the  older  brothers 
of  Jesus  asserted  themselves  presumptuously 
against  Him.  Aaron  wore  the  breast-plate, 
Urim  and  Thummim  ;  Miriam,  as  a  prophetess, 
had  already  led  the  chorus  of  the  women  of 
Israel.  There  appears  to  crop  out  a  prelude  of 
the  spiritualism  of  the  rebellion  of  Korah. 

5.  No'w  the  man  Moses  was  very  meek, 
ver.  3.  An  intimation  that  he  endured  in  si- 
lence and  committed  his  justification  to  God. 
If  we  assume  a  later  redaction  of  the  memora- 
bilia of  Moses,  then  this  statement  is  easily 
explained  as  a  gloss.  Anyway  the  defence  of 
the  view  that  Moses  wrote  this  himself  is  no 
affair  affecting  faith.  See  Keil  for  the  discus- 
sions relating  to  this.  [The  defence  of  the  in- 
tegrity of  this  text  may  be  of  great  importance 
even  if  it  be  not  an  "aflFair  affecting  faith." 
There  is  really  no  more  ground  for  impugning 
it  than  any  other  simple  statement  about  Moses 
made  by  himself;  as  for  instance:  "0  my 
Lord,  I  am  not  eloquent ;  but  I  am  slow  of 
speech."  Exod.  iv.  10;  Exod.  xi.  3;  Num.  xii. 
7,  may  also  be  compared.  The  common  objec- 
tion to  it,  that  it  is  self-praise,  is  urged  from 
the  view-point  of  Christian  ethics.  Certainly 
before  the  day  of  David,  who  sang  the  praises 
of  the  meek  (Ui')  and  of  their  meekness,  no  one 
would  have  been  charged  with  praising  himself 
who  called  himself  meek.  Calvin's  sensible 
comment  touches  the  core  of  the  matter:  "The 
eulogium  of  his  meekness  amounts  to  this:  as 
if  Moses  would  say,  he  swallowed  that  injui-y 
in  silence,  inasmuch  as  he  imposed  a  law  of  pa- 
tience on  himself  because  of  his  meekness." 
Only  it  need  not  be  admitted  that  the  text  was 
an  "eulogium,"  though  it  is  such  now.  It 
would  not  even  now-a-days  be  thought  a  proof 


of  self-conceit,  or  more  than  a  modest  man 
might  say,  if  one  were  to  state  that  he  swallowed 
more  affronts  thaa  any  man  of  his  time.  Apart 
from  this  unreasonable  objection  to  the  words, 
it  is  "manifest  that  the  observation  referred  to 
occupies  a  necessary  place  in  the  history,  being 
called  forth  by  the  occasion,  and  that  the  object 
of  its  insertion  was  by  no  means  to  magnify 
Moses."  Macdonald  on  The  Pentateuch,  1.,  p. 
346.— Tr.] 

6.  Vers.  4,  5.  Moses,  Aaron  and  Miriam, 
whose  discourse  Jehovah  had  heard,  are  sud- 
denly cited  to  the  fore-court  of  the  Tent.  This 
notice  affords  Knobel  another  opportunity  for 
detecting  a  contradiction.  Women  in  the  Sanc- 
tuary !  Yes,  indeed,  in  the  fore-court;  in  fact 
there  was  at  a  later  period  an  entire  fore-court 
for  women.  The  three  presented  themselves 
there  and  are  summoned.  The  cloud  sinking 
down  parts  Aaron  and  Miriam  from  Moses,  after 
they  had  approached  before  the  door  of  the 
Tent.  What  they  now  hear  seems  to  have  the 
form  of  an  inspiration  from  Jehovah,  who  mani- 
fested Himself  in  the  dividing  cloud. 

7.  If  there  be  a  prophet  among  you, 
etc.,  veis.  6-8  b.  The  usual  form  of  revelation 
is:  Jehovah  makes  himself  know^n  in  an 
appearance,  or  in  a  dream.  The  dream- 
vision  as  a  third  form  is  to  be  understood  as 
included.  The  form  of  revelation  in  which 
Jehovah  makes  Himself  known  to  Moses  is  su- 
perior,   because    Moses   is   faithful   in   all    His 

[Jehovah's]  house.     V^'^},  may  be  taken  to  mean 

"entrusted  with;"  but  the  3  seems  to  favor  the 

other  rendering.  But,  of  course,  the  house  of 
Jehovah  is  not  merely  the  Sanctuary,  but  all 
Israel  as  the  house  of  Jehovah  (Keil). 

[My  house,  when  said  by  Jehovah,  must 
mean  the  same  as  "the  house  of  Jehovah," 
when  said  by  Moses.  The  latter  in  the  Penta- 
teuch never  means  anything  but  the  Tabernacle. 
Comp.  Exod.  xxiii.  19;  Deut.  xxiii.  18  (19); 
also  Josh.  vi.  24;  ix.  23.  Keil  says:  "It  is 
not  primarily  His  dwelling,  the  holy  Tent 
(Baumgarten),  —  for   in    that   case    the    word 

'whole'  (~72l)  would  be  quite  superfluous."  But 

Sd  cannot  so  extend  the  meaning  of  "  house  of 
God,"  any  more  than  "all  the  apple"  can  be 
made  to  comprehend  the  apple  and  the  tree  on 
which  it  grows.  It  is  better  to  understand  by 
"my  house"  the  Tabernacle,  including  the  eco- 
nomy that  it  represents.  The  Apostle's  refer- 
ence to  this  phrase,  Heb.  iii.  2-6,  quite  consists 
with  this,  and  most  of  all  his  words:  "whose 
house  we  are,"  which  Keil  quotes  in  favor  of 
the  other  view.  For  these  words  in  their  con- 
text present  an  antithesis  to  ''  His  (God's) 
house."  Moses  ministered  in  a  house  of  types; 
Christ  in  the  real  house,  of  which  believers  are 
the  ingredients. — Tr.] 

To  him  Jehovah  speaks  mouth  to  mouth, 
i.  e.  the  sound  of  the  words  objectively  as  inspi- 
ration and  subjectively  as  law,  is  thoroughly 
correct.  And  it  may  subserve  this  that  Moses 
is  denied  the  dangerous  gift  of  eloquence,  and 
that  he  must  speak  in  lapidary  style.  Hence, 
too,  his  sort  of  vision  is  peculiar;  free  from 
obscure  or  enigmatical  forma  of  fantasy  or  poesy 


70 


NUMBERS. 


(m-n),  ideal  realism.  He  beholds  the  form 
of  Jehovah,  His  essential  form  (Esod.  xxxiii. 
11;  L)eut.  xxxiv.  10).  Still  one  could  not  take 
these  words  absolutely,  without  being  in  conflict 
with  Jno.  i.  18,  and  even  Exod.  xxxiii.  [No 
more  conflict  than  Jno.  v.  37,  ovrs  e'tdog  avrov 
eupnKare. — Tr.]  If  the  prophets  saw  what  was 
divine  only  pioce-meal  and  in  various  forms 
(Heb.  i.  1),  so  then  Moses,  too,  did  not  see  it 
synthetically,  but  analytically.  It  is  therefore 
saying  too  much  when  one  affirms:  "God  spake 
with  Moses  without  figure  and  in  the  complete 
transparency  of  spiritual  communication." — 
What  distinguishes  him  in  the  Old  Testament  is 
the  totality  and  the  objective  precision  of  his 
perception  of  the  law,  but  still  on  that  account 
conditioned  by  visions,  as  e.  g.  the  vision  of  the 
Burning  Bush;  and  if  "all  the  prophets  only 
continued  to  build  on  the  foundation  that  Moses 
laid,"  still,  on  the  other  hand,  each  prophet 
saw  a  special  aspect  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in 
such  a  light  as  Moses  had  not  yet  seen  it. 
Keil  says:  "On  this  unique  position  of  Moses  to 
God  and  to  the  Theocracy,  clearly  affirmed  in 
our  verses,  the  Rabbins  have  justly  founded  the 
Tiew  of  the  superior  degree  of  the  inspiration 
of  the  Thorahr  But  we  may  add:  on  this  mis- 
understanding of  this  conditioned  uniqueness, 
the  Sadducees,  too,  founded  their  doctrine.  The 
New  Testament,  also,  is,  according  to  historical 
relations,  founded  on  the  Old  Testament;  but, 
according  to  inward,  essential  relations  that 
well  up  out  of  the  divine  depths  into  the  light 
of  day,  the  Old  Testament  is  rather  founded 
on  the  New,  and  in  a  certain  sense  John  the  Bap- 
tist is  called  the  greatest  prophet  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

8.  Wherefore  were  ye  not  afraid  ?  Ver. 
8  c.  They  lived  with  him  so  long,  and  yet  knew 
so  little  his  exalted  position.  He  stood  too  near 
to  them,  and  they  themselves,  with  their  self- 
consciousness,  stood  too  much  in  their  own 
light.  Again  an  old  history  that  becomes  ever 
new. 

9.  And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kin- 
dled against  them;  and  He  departed,  ver. 
9;  the  cloud  removed  from  off  the  Tent,  ver. 
10.  It  removes;  ''it  mounts  aloft."  This  lift- 
ing up  and  moving  off  of  the  cloud  might  be 
portrayed  without  its  significance  being  re- 
garded. It  was  the  first  punishment  and  a 
chief  one.  Aaron  was  inwardly  crushed,  the 
fire  on  his  altar  went  out,  the  pillar  of  smoke 
no  longer  mounted  up  as  a  token  of  grace,  the 
cultus  was  for  the  moment  at  a  stand-still,  and 
it  was  as  if  an  interdict  of  Jehovah  lay  on  the 
cultus  of  the  Sanctuary.  Hence  Miriam  is  not 
the  only  one  punished  when  suddenly  she  stood 
there   snow-white    from    leprosy.      She   would 


stand  above  Moses  snow-white  in  righteousness, 
while  she  looked  down  on  him  as  unclean.  She 
would  be  a  lady  over  the  Church,  for  she  domi- 
nated over  Aaron,  and  now,  even  as  a  leper,  she 
must  be  excluded  from  the  Church.  Now  Aaron 
implores  Moses,  as  his  lord,  to  intercede.  Here 
only  the  spiritual  high-priesthood  of  a  divine 
compassion  can  deliver  the  helpless  high-priest 
himself.  Lay  not  the  sin  upon  us,  ver.  11 ; 
let  us  not  atone  for  it.     We  have  played  the 

fool  (7K',  Niph.).  So,  too.  Luther  once  said, 
when  looking  back  to  the  deliverance  concern- 
ing the  double  marriage  of  Philip  of  Hesse. 
His  sister  seems  to  him  as  it  were  already  con- 
sumed by  the  leprosy,  as  a  still-born  child  may 
already  appear  almost  corrupted  at  birth. 
Mournful  image  under  which  Miriam  now  ap- 
pears here!  He  almost  speaks  as  if  Moses 
should  heal  her.  Moses  understands  it  as  an 
indirect  request  to  intercede  for  her.  The  reply 
of  Jehovah  is  the  granting  of  the  request  in  the 
form  of  a  sharp  reproof  (ver.  14).  The  figura- 
tive expression  compares  her,  who  desired  to  be 
the  prophetic  regent  of  the  nation,  to  a  depend- 
ent maiden  in  whose  face  her  father  had  spit  on 
account  of  unseemly  behaviour.  Such  an  one 
must  conceal  herself  seven  days  on  account  of 
her  shame.  The  same  is  dictated  to  Miriam. 
"A  usage  among  the  Arabs  is  that,  when  a  son 
and  competitor  in  a  race  is  beaten,  the  father  spits 
in  his  face  as  a  sign  of  his  reproof  (von  Shit- 
BERT,  Rehe  II.,  p.  403)."  Knobel.  She  is 
shut  up  seven  days  as  a  leper.  Confounded 
by  the  sense  of  guilt,  Aaron  could  not  see  the 
sign  of  hope  in  the  snow-white  leprosy.  At 
bottom  the  confession  of  Miriam  appeared  al- 
ready in  that,  because  the  blow  proceeded  from 
conscience.  In  ordering  her  to  a  seclusion  of 
seven  days,  there  was  implied,  however,  even 
already  the  divine  sentence  of  pronouncing  her 
clean,  because  the  leper  pronounced  clean  could 
only  after  seven  days  be  received  again  (Lev. 
xiv.  8).  The  reception  back  again  required  the 
prescribed  sacrifice.  Therefore  so  long  the  peo- 
ple must  remain  encamped  in  Hazeroth.  After 
the  seven  days  the  departure  from  Hazeroth 
took  place.  Knobel  cannot  see  how  the  stern 
features  and  the  mild  features  in  Moses  are  to 
be  harmonized  (p.  30).  Of  course  this  is  [for 
him]  another  contradiction ! 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Miriam  and  Aaron  in  their  would-be  pious 
zeal  against  the  alleged  mixed  marriage  of 
Moses.  Two-fold  character  of  the  so-called 
mixed  marriages  (see  on  Gen.  vi.  1-8,  Doct.  and 
Eih.,  §  3;  1  Cor.  vii.).  The  intercession  of 
Moses  must  mediate  again  and  again. 


CHAP.    XIII.  1-33. 


71 


THIRD    SECTION. 

The  Pall  of   the  Old  Generation  in  the  "Wilderness  of  Paran.      The  Spies. 
Despondency,  the  Stubbornness  and  the  Judgment. 

Chaps.  XIII.  1— XIV.  45. 


The 


In  this  section  we  read  the  history  of  Israel 
in  the  wilderness  in  the  narrower  sense,  the 
tragic  history  of  their  first  cardinal  and  tem- 
porary rejection.  God  never  rejected  His  entire 
people,  though  He  did  reject  single  generations 
of  the  nation  in  a  conditional  sense.  This  first 
time  one  generation  died  in  the  wilderness;  ano- 
ther time  two  generations  died  in  the  Babylon- 
ish captivity;  and  after  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  later,  countless  generations  fell  under 
the  sentence  of  dispersion.  Moreover,  indivi- 
dual tribes  more  or  less  detached  themselves 
from  the  total  of  Israel  before  the  deportation 
of  the  Ten  Tribes  to  Assyria.  But  never  did 
the  entire  nation  go  to  destruction.  Again  and 
again  the  prophets  renew  the  promise  of  salva- 
tion to  a  pious  remnant,  an  election,  and  that 


in  a  form  ever  greater  and  more  glorious.  But 
as,  on  the  one  hand,  the  entire  nation  is  never 
meant,  so  also,  on  the  other,  toe  single  indivi- 
dual as  such  is  never  meant.  Even  the  vacilla- 
ting, lost  multitude  is  indeed  judged  as  a  nation, 
but  not  in  the  relation  of  the  individual  to 
Jehovah,  and  in  the  end  there  shall  issue  from 
each  visitation  a  fruit  of  righteousness.  It  is 
the  history  of  humanity  on  a  reduced  scale.  It 
is  characteristic,  that  several  modern  critics, 
from  Goethe  on,  have  desired  to  eliminate  this 
providential  central  point  of  the  wanderings  of 
Israel,  the  proper  theocratic  idea  of  it,  in  order 
to  make  prominent  in  the  history  what  remains 
almost  an  insignificant  military  caravan  expedi- 
tion through  the  desert. 


The  Spies  and  their  Report. 
Chap.  XIII.  1-33. 

1  And  the  Loed   spake  unto   Moses,  saying,  \Send   thou   men,  that  they  may 

2  ""search  the  land  of  Canaan,  which  I  give  unto  the  children  of  Israel :  of  every 

3  tribe  of  their  fathers  shall  ye  send  a  man,  every  one  a  "ruler  among  them.     And 
Moses  by  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  sent  them  from  the  wilderness  of  Paran  : 

4  all  those  men  were  heads  of  the  children  of  Israel.     And  these  were  their  names  ; 

5  Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  Shammua  the  son  of  Zaccur.     Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon, 
'  6  Shaphat  the  son  of  Hori.     Of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh. 

7,  8  Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  Igal  the  son  of  Joseph.     Of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim. 

9  Oshea  the  son  of  Nun.     Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,   Palti  the   son   of   Raphu. 

10,  11  Of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  Gaddiel  the  son  of  Sodi.     Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph, 

12  namely,  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  Gaddi  the  son  of  Susi.     Of  the  tribe  of  Dan, 

13  Ammiel  the  son  of  Gemalli.     Of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  Sethur  the  son  of  Michael. 
14,  15  Of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  Nahbi  the  son  of  Vophsi.     Of  the  tribe  of  Gad,  Geuel 

16  the  son  of  Machi.  These  are  the  names  of  the  men  which  Moses  sent  to  spy  out 
the  laud.     And  Moses  called  Oshea  the  son  of  Nun,  Jehoshua. 

17  And  Moses  sent  them  to  spy  out  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  said  unto  them.  Get 

18  you  up  this  way  "^southward,  and  go  up  into  the  mountain  :  And  see  the  land, 
what  it  is;  and  the  people  that  dwelleth  therein,  whether  they  he  strong  or  weak, 

19  few  or  many.  And  what  the  land  is  that  they  dwell  in,  whether  it  he  good  or  bad  ; 
and  what  cities  they  he  that  they  dwell  in,  whether  in  ^ents,  or  in  strong  holds ; 

20  And  what  the  land  is,  whether  it  he  fat  or  lean,  whether  there  be  wood  therein,  or 
not.  And  be  ye  of  good  courage,  and  bring  of  the  fruit  of  the  land.  Now  the 
time  was  the  time  of  the  first  ripe  grapes. 


NUMBERS. 


21  So  they  went  up,  and  'searched  the  land  from  the  wilderness  of  Zin  unto  Rehob, 

22  as  men  come  to  Hamath.  And  they  ascended  ^by  the  south,  and  came  unto 
Hebron  ;  ®\vhere  Ahimau,  Sheshai,  and  Talmai,  the  children  of  Anak,  were.    (Now 

23  Hebron  was  built  seven  years  before  Zoau  in  Egypt. )  And  they  came  unto  the 
'brook  of  Eshcol,  and  cut  down  from  thence  a  branch  with  one  cluster  of  grapes, 
and  they  bare  it  between  two  upon  a  staff;  and  they  brought  of  the  pomegranates, 

24  and  of  the  figs.     The  place  was  called  the  'brook  ^Eshcol,  because  of  the  cluster  of 

25  grapes  which  the  children  of  Israel  cut  down  from  thence.  And  they  returned 
from  ''searching  of  the  land  after  forty  days. 

26  And  they  went  and  came  to  Moses,  and  to  Aaron,  and  to  all  the  congregation  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  unto  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  to  Kadesh  ;  and  brought  back 
word  unto  them,  and  unto  all  the  congregation,  and  shewed  them  the  fruit  of  the 

27  land.  And  they  told  him,  and  said,  We  came  unto  the  land  whither  thou  sentest 
us,  and   surely  it   floweth    with    milk   and  honey ;   and  this  is  the  fruit  of  it. 

28  Nevertheless  the  people  be  strong  that  dwell  in  the  land,  and  the  cities  ai-e  'walled, 

29  and  very  great :  and  moreover  Ave  saw  the  children  of  Anak  there.  ''The  Araale- 
kites  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  south  :  and  the  Hittites,  and  the  Jebusites,  and  the 
Amorites,  dwell  in  the  mountains :  and  the  Canaanites   dwell  by  the  sea,  and  by 

30  the  coast  of  Jordan.     And  Caleb  stilled  the  people  before  Moses,  and  said,  Let  us 

31  go  up  at  once,  and  possess  it ;  for  we  are  well  able  to  overcome  it.  But  the  men 
that  went  up  with  him  said.  We  be  not  able  to  go  up  against  the  people ;  for  they 

32  are  stronger  than  we.  And  they  brought  'up  an  evil  report  of  the  land  which  they 
had  'searched  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  The  land,  through  which  we  have 
gone  to  search  it,  is  a  land  that   eateth  up  the  inhabitants  thereof;  and  all  the 

33  people  that  we  saw  in  it  are  ^men  of  a  great  stature.  And  there  we  saw  the  giants, 
the  sons  of  Anak,  which  come  of  the  giants  :  and  we  were  in  our  own  sight  as  grass- 
hoppers, and  so  we  were  in  their  sight. 


1  Or,  valley. 

>  Send  for  thee. 
*  in  the  South. 
e  and  there  were. 
k  Amalek  dwells. 


2  That  is,  a  cluster  of  grapes.                    ^  Heb.  men  of  stature*. 
*. J. .- 


t  spy. 

•  camps. 
•>  spying. 

•  out. 


'  princes. 
f  speed. 
>  fenced. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  22.  It  is  generally  thought  that  instead  of  XD'I  we  should  read  ^X^'l,  "  for  a  plural  precedes,  and  such 
is  the  reading  of  the  Sam.,  2  Codd.  K,  and  all  the  ancient  versions  except  Onkelos  and  Gr.  Ver."  Mauree. 

"Two  facts  are  mentioned  in  vers.  22-24,  vehich  occurred  in  connection  with  their  mission,  and  were  of  great 
importance  to  the  whole  congregation.  These  single  incidents  are  linked  on,  however,  in  a  truly  Hebrew  style, 
to  what  precedes,  viz.,  by  an  imperf.  with  Vav  consec,"  Keil.    See  further  in  Exeget.  and  Crit. — Tb.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  The  sending  out  of  the  spies,  vers.  1-20.  The 
occasion  of  this  is,  on  the  one  hand,  the  desire 
of  the  people  (Deut.  i.  22),  on  the  other  the  com- 
mand of  .Jehovah.  The  locality  from  which  the 
sending  proceeds  is  the  wilderness  of  Paran 
(xii.  16),  or,  more  exactly  defined,  Kadesh  (xiii. 
26;  Deut.  i.  20).  On  the  site  of  Kadesh  see 
Keil  in  loc.  [and  Translator's  note  below].  The 
men  who  were  chosen  for  the  expedition  were 
required  to  be  princes  of  the  branch  of  a  tribe 
from  the  individual  tribes,  (not  the  princes  of 
the  several  tribes  themselves),  men  of  importance 
and  reliable.*     They  are  definitely  enrolled  ac- 

*  [Dr.  Lanoe  inserts  in  the  Scripture  text  in  loc.  the 
meanings  of  the  names,  vers.  4  sqq.  For  convenience 
they  are  added  here.  Shammim=rtnnoMrtremc?it,  mes- 
sage, Zaccur=(i  male.  Sliaphut  =^M'/,f/«.  Huri  =  eMer 
and  prince.    Caleb=orae  who  atlacles.    Jfphunneh=a  way 


cording  to  the  particular  tribes.  All  twelve 
tribes  are  represented,  except  Levi,  which  is 
omitted  according  to  its  destination.  But  Kno- 
BEL  is  at  pains  to  make  it  appear  that  Ephraim, 
too,  is  without  representation,  or  that,  according 
to  one  source,  Joshua  was  not  among  the  spies, 
while,  according  to  the  other,  he  was  (see  the 
note  in  Keil,  in  loc). 

The  official  change  of  the  name  Oshea  to 
Joshua,  which  Moses  effected  on  the  occKsion  of 
this  expedition,  was  already  prepareil  by  previ- 
ous significant  things,  just  as  the  official  naming 
of  Peter  in  the  Evangelical  history.  The  signi- 
ficant thing  is  that  such  names  grow  up  by  de- 
grees until  they  are  punctuated.  One  may  still 
distinguish  from  this  the  author's  prolepsis. 

happiness  of  God.  BoAi=confidant.  Gaddi=mv  happi- 
ness. Hnfii=horscman.  Ammiel=o/'  the  people  of  Qod. 
Geniiilli  =caOTe/!-OK)ncr?  avenger.  Sethur=i'6(7e(i,  secret. 
Michii(!l>=!(;/!0  is  as   God.      Nahbi=/H(/cicn.      Vophsi=a 


pavfd.     lgal=A«   loili   redeem.    0.«hea=/ie//>.     Nun=po8-     rich  one  /  prince.    (}ue\=hiqhness  of  God.    Machi=a poor 
terity.     Pa.hi'^deliverance.     Raph\i=.healea.     Gaddiel^^  I  or^e.    Joshua=u!/tose  help  Jehovah. — Tr.] 


CHAP.  XIII.  1-33. 


73 


2.  The  instruction  to  the  spies,  vers.  17-20.  (a). 
Whither  ?  Into  the  south-land  {Negeb)  of  Ca- 
naan, and  then  to  the  mountains.  Against  Kno- 
BEL,  who  thinks  that  only  the  mountains  of  Ju- 
dah  are  meant,  Keil  justly  maintains  that  all  the 
mountain  land  of  Canaan  is  meant,  the  mountains 
of  the  Amorites  (Deut.  i.  7,  19).  [See  Transla- 
tor's note  below].  As  a  matter  of  course,  Kno- 
bbl's  aim  is  to  detect  a  discrepancy. 

(6).  For  what  object  ?  To  inspect  the  land, 
(1)  the  people;  (2)  the  cities  (whether  fenced 
or  encampments)  ;  (3)  the  vegetation.  They 
were  to  bring  back  with  them  samples  of  the 
fruits  of  the  land.  It  was  about  the  season  of 
the  first  ripe  grapes.  "In  Palestine  the  first 
grapes  ripen  in  August,  partly  even  in  July 
(comp.  Robinson,  II.,  p.  lUO),  whereas  the  vin- 
tage takes  place  in  September  and  October 
(comp.  V.  Schubert,  R.  III.,  p.  112  sq. ;  Tob- 
LER,  DenkhlffAter  aus  Jerusalem,  p.  111)." 

3.  The  journey,  ver.  21.  The  most  northern 
part  of  the  wilderness  of  Paran  was  the  wilder- 
ness of  Zin  (in  the  Talmud  :  low  palm).  From 
this  latter  (the  Wady  3Iurreh)  they  started  and 
came  as  far  as  Rehob,  "to  come  to  Hamath,"  «'. 
e.,  from  where  one  comes  to  Hamath.  In  any 
case  this  Rehob  lay  in  the  extreme  north  of  Pa- 
lestine, for  Hamath,  called  later  Epiphania,  was 
situated  on  the  Orontes.  Robinson  supposed  he 
identified  Rehob  in  the  place  Kalat  Honin  which 
Keil  disputes  [see  also  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.,  sub. 
vac. — Tr.]. 

Here  connects  the  statement  of  their  return, 
ver.  25. 

At  this  point  Keil  makes  a  very  appropriate 
remark  with  reference  to  Ewald,  where  see  his 
note.  It  is  a  peculiarity  of  Hebrew  historic  nar- 
rative that  it  places  the  end  and  result  of  events 
as  much  as  possible  at  the  head  of  the  account,  and 
then  afterwards  brings  in  the  details  of  the  more 
important  accompanying  circumstances.  Keil 
cites  as  examples  1  Kings  vi.  9,  15  ;  Josh.  iv.  11 
sqq. ;  Judg.  xx.  85  sqq.  In  poetry  this  is  the 
character  of  the  novel  as  distinguished  from  the 
form  of  the  romance.  In  this  way  Gen.  ii.  is 
related  to  Gen.  i.  Thus  here  the  narrative  in 
vers.  22-24  is  overtaken,  because  with  the  anti- 
thesis :  "  the  large  gi-apes,  but  the  children  of 
Anak,  too,"  the  tragic  knot  is  tied.  Thus  then 
they  came  to  Hebron  (union),  there  vrere 
Ahiman  (brother  of  the  gift?),  Sheshai  (the 
white?)  and  Talmai  (abounding  in  furrows? 
fruit-land),  the  sons  of  Anak  an  ancient  giant 
race  (long-necked),  Deut.  ix.  2.  Goliath  is  an 
example  of  there  being  straggling  remnants  of 
these  in  later  times.  They  were  descended  from 
Arbah,  from  whom  Hebron  was  called  Kirjath 
Arbah  ;  but  Anak  designates  the  people,  see  Josh. 
XV.  14 ;  Judg.  i.  20.  Hebron  was  a  very  ancient 
city  (see  on  Gen.  xiii.  18) ;  it  was  built  seven 
years  before  Zoan  in  Egypt,  ver.  22.  "  Zoan, 
i.  e.,  Tanis  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  San  of  the 
Arabians,  Dschane  in  the  Coptic  writings,  was 
situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  Tanitic  arm  of 
the  Nile,  not  far  from  its  mouth,  and  was  the  re- 
sidence of  Pharaoh  in  Moses'  time,"  Keil,  see 
Gen.  xiii.  18  ;  xxiii.  2  sqq. 

It  is  still  a  question  whether  lj?3'1  is  to  be  sub- 

T~ 

stituted  for  N^'l.     The  narrator  says  :  "  and  one 


came  also."  And  what  reason  could  he  have  for 
that?  It  seems  to  be  wholly  assumed  that  the 
twelve  spies  always  remained  together.  Verily 
not  a  good  method  of  scouting.  Moreover,  at  a 
later  period,  Joshua  sent  out  only  two  spies  to 
Jericho.  One  may  assume  that  these  twelve  also 
subdivided  themselves  variously.  Thus,  then,  a 
few  in  particular  came  to  Hebron. 

Thus,  also,  after  another  episode  they  came 
to  the  brook  Eshcol  (cluster  of  grapes,  grapes) 
ver.  23.  And  they  cut  down  the  great  clu.^ter 
that  two  men  bore  on  a  pole.  This  could  uiily 
be  on  their  return  home.  Their  motive  tor  so 
carrying  it  was  to  preserve  it  fresh.  They  tooK 
in  addition  some  pomegranates  and  figs.  It  has 
been  conjectured  that  a  valley  to  i/ie  north  of 
Hebron  is  meant,  where  grow  the  largest  and 
most  beautiful  grapes  of  the  land,  also  pome- 
granates, figs  and  other  fruits  in  abundance 
(Keil  with  reference  to  Robinson,  I.  p.  316  com- 
pared with  p.  314,  and  II.  p.  442).  In  that  case 
the  spies  with  their  great  cluster  needed  care  to 
get  by  the  children  of  Anak  unobserved  (see  Keil 
on  a  double  derivation  of  the  name).  [On  JEshcol 
see  Translator's  note  below]. 

4.  The  Report  of  the  Spies,  vers.  26-33.  The 
spies  give  confirmation  before  the  assembly  of 
the  people,  that  the  land  agrees  with  the  old  pro- 
mise, and  they  exhibit  their  fruits ;  then,  however, 
there  immediately  follows  a  but,  but — the  "3  03^: 
a  strong  nation  ;  fenced  cities  ;  sons  of  Anak  are 
there  ;  Amalekites  in  the  south  ;  Hittites,  Jebu- 
sites,  Amorites  in  the  mountains  ;  Canaanites  in 
the  lowlands  by  the  sea  and  by  Jordan  (Gen.  xx. 
1).  Caleb  seeks  to  soothe  the  excited  people  by 
resolute  confidence  of  conquest.  That  Joshua 
does  not  make  a  speech  confirms  Knobel  in  the 
assumption  that  he  was  not  one  of  them.  The 
rest  of  the  spies,  of  course,  oppose  Caleb.  The 
land,  they  say,  eateth  up  its  inhabitants. 
The  strange  expression  would  say  :  they  so  press 
one  another  for  its  possession  that  they  grind 
each  other  up.  A  second  exaggeration:  all  the 
people  that  -we  saw  in  it  are  men  of  great 
stature.  And  still  further  they  contradict 
themselves :  we  also  saw  giants  there ;  of 
course  they  would  make  the  impression  that  these 
children  of  Anak  were  like  the  dreadful  giants 
that  lived  before  the  flood.  In  the  last  exagge- 
ration was  manifested  the  extravagance  of  the 
cowards :  we  were  in  our  own  sight  as 
grasshoppers,  and  so  w^e  w^ere  in  their 
sight.  Truly  an  expressive  type  of  the  lying 
fear  with  which  worldly-mindedness  has  ever  de- 
picted the  difficult  approaches  to  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

[Kadesh,  ver.  26.  In  a  copious  note  at  the 
end  of  chap,  xiii.,  the  Editor  of  The  Bible  Comm. 
maintains  that  "  Kadesh  is  to  be  identified  with 
Ain-el-  Weibeh,  which  lies  in  the  Arabah,  about 
ten  miles  north  of  the  place  in  which  Mt.  Hor 
abuts  on  that  valley."  Robinson  (II.,  ^  xii., 
June  2)  leads  in  this  view,  and  is  followed  by 
many.  The  view  commended  by  Lange  in  re- 
ferring to  Keil,  and  which  is  maintained  by 
RiTTER,  Kurtz  and  Mr.  Thbupp,  the  original 
writer  on  Numbers  in  the  Bib.  Comm.  and  many 
others,  is  that  advocated  by  Messrs.  Rowlands 
and  Williams  [Holy  City,  I.  4QS  sqq.),  and  by 


NUMBERS. 


Mr.  Wilton  {Negeb.  pp.  79,  80).  This  view 
identifies  Kadesh  witli  el-Ain,  wliich  is  about 
sixty  miles  west  of  Mt.  Hor,  and  twenty  miles 
further  north  (according  to  the  map  in  Palmer's 
Desert  of  the  Exodus),  or  about  fifty  miles  west 
o^'  Ain-el-Weibeh.  In  this  view  E.  H.  Palmer 
concur^,  who  says  :  "  The  name  Kadesh  (though 
belonging  more  particularly  to  the  open  space 
immediately  below  the  clifi'  [Sela)  in  which  Ain 
Gadis,  or  the  spring  of  Kadesh,  rises,  might 
easily  have  been  extended  to  the  whole  region, 
as  I  he  name  of  the  spot  in  which  the  most  im- 
portant events  took  place.  This  would  account 
for  the  apparent  discrepancies  in  the  Biblical 
references  to  the  locality,  which  at  one  time  is 
Baid  to  be  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran  (xiii.  26), 
at  another,  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin  (Deut.  xxxii. 
51),  and  again,  is  defined  with  Heshmon  as 
being  one  of  the  uttermost  cities  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah  southward  [Josh.  xv.  3,  4,  27]. 

"I  concur  with  Wilton  {The  Negeb.,  t^.  \2i) 
in  believing  that  the  wilderness  of  Paran  com- 
prised the  whole  desert  Et  Tih,  and  that  Mt. 
Paran  was  the  southernmost  portion  of  the 
mountain  plateau  in  the  northeast,  at  present 
inhabited  by  the  Azazimeh  Arabs  and  known  as 
Jebel  Magrah.  To  one  encamped  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Kadesh,  that  is  the  open  plain  into  which 
Wady  Gadis  debouches,  Jebel  Magrah  would  be 


always  the  most  conspicuous  object  in  the  scene, 
and  would  completely  shut  out  the  view  of  the 
more  fertile  mountains  beyond.  .   .  . 

"The  Israelites  were  encamped,  according  to 
my  theory,  at  the  foot  of  the  line  of  clifl's  in  which 
Ain  Gades  takes  its  rise,  and  their  intention  was 
evidently  to  march  straight  upon  Palestine  by 
the  short  and  easy  route  which  skirts  the  west- 
ern edge  of  the  mountains.  The  spies  were  to 
get  them  up  by  the  way  of  the  Negeb 
[south-laud],  noi  by  the  plains  in  which  the 
Canaanltes  were  assembling,  but  to  go  up  into 
the  raountains.  This  they  could  only  do  by 
skirting  the  southern  end  of  the  Azazimeh 
mountains,  and  striking  into  the  heart  of  the 
plateau  at  Wady  Ghamr.  Having  then  pene- 
trated into  Palestine  by  this  road,  and  searched 
the  country  as  far  as  the  plain  of  Coele-Syria, 
they  returned  by  way  of  Hebron,  and  explored 
(as  coming  from  the  North,  they  might  now  do 
without  suspicion)  the  route  by  the  western 
edge  of  the  mountain.  In  one  of  these  exten- 
sive valleys  (perhaps  in  Wady  Hanein^  where 
miles  of  grape-mounds  even  now  meet  the  eye 
[not  more  than  sixteen  miles  north  of  Kadesh. — 
Tr.]),  they  cut  the  gigantic  cluster  of  grapes, 
and  gathered  the  pomegranates  and  figs." — 
Desert  of  the  Exod,,  chap,  xxv. — Tr.] 


Despondency,  Stubbornness  and  Judgment, 
Chapter  XIV.  1-45. 

1  And  all  the  congregation  lifted  up  their  voice,  and  cried ;  and  the  people  wept 

2  that  night.  And  all  the  children  of  Israel  murmured  against  Moses  and  against 
Aaron  :  and  the  vrhole  congregation  said  unto  them,  Would  ^God  that  we  had  died 

3  in  the  land  of  Egypt !  or  would  *God  we  had  died  in  this  wilderness !  And  where- 
fore "hath  the  Lord  brought  us  unto  this  land,  to  fall  by  the  sword,  that  our  wives 
and  our  children  should  be  a  prey?  Avere  it  not  better  for  us  to  return  into  Egypt? 

4  And  they  said  one  to  another,  Let  us  make  a  captain,  and  let  us  return  into  Egypt. 

5  Then  Moses  and  Aaron  fell  on  their  faces  before  all  the  assembly  of  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  children  of  Israel. 

6  And  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  which  were  of 

7  them  that  ^searched  the  land,  rent  their  clothes :  And  they  spake  unto  all  the 
"company  of  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  The  land,  which  we  passed  through  to 

8  "search  it,  is  an  exceeding  good  laud.  If  the  Lord  delight  in  us,  then  he  will 
bring  us  into  this  land,  and  give  it  us ;  a  land  which  floweth  with  milk  and  honey. 

9  Only  rebel  not  ye  against  the  Lord,  neither  fear  ye  the  people  of  the  land ;  for 
they  are  bread  for  us :  their  defence  is  departed  from  them,  and  the  Lord  is  with 

10  us :  fear  them  not.  But  all  the  congregation  «bade  stone  them  with  stones.  And 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  in  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation  before  all 
the  children  of  Israel. 

11  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  How  long  will  this  people  ^provoke  me?  and 
how  long  will  it  "be  ere  they  believe  me,  for  all  the  signs  which  I  have  'shewed 

12  among  them?  I  will  .smite  them  with  the  pestilence,  and  "disinherit  them,  and 
will  make  of  thee  a  greater  nation  and  mightier  than  they. 


CHAP.  XIV.  1-45.  75 


13  And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  'Then  the  Egyptians  shall  hear  it,   (for  thou 

14  broughtest  up  this  people  in  thy  might  from  among  them;)  And  they  "will  tell  it 
to  the  inhabitants  of  this  land :  ""for  they  have  heard  that  thou  Lord  art  among 
this  people,  that  thou  Lord  art  seen  face  to  face,  and  timt  thy  cloud  standeth  over 
them,  and  that  thou  goest  before  them,  by  daytime  in  a  pillar  of  a  cloud,  and  in  a 

15  pillar  of  fire  by  night.     Now  if  thou  shalt  kill  all  this  people  as  one  man,  then  the 

16  nations  which  have  heard  the  fame  of  thee  will  speak,  saying,  Because  the  Lord 
was  not  able  to  bring  this  people  into  the  land  which  he  sware  unto  them,  there- 

17  fore  he  hath  slain  them  in  the  wilderness.     And  now,  I  beseech  thee,  let  the  power 

18  of  my  "Lord  be  great,  according  as  thou  hast  spoken,  saying;  The  Lord  is  long- 
suffering,  and  of  great  mercy,  forgiving  iniquity  and  transgression,  and  by  no 
means  clearing  the  guilty,  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  unto 

19  the  third  and  fourth  generation.  Pardon,  I  beseech  thee,  the  iniquity  of  this  peo- 
ple according  unto  the  greatness  of  thy  mercy,  and  as  thou  hast  forgiven  this  peo- 

20  pie,  from  Egypt  even  'until  now.     And  the  Lord  said,  I  have  pardoned  according 

21  to  thy  word :  But  as  truly  a.^  I  live,  ^all  the  earth  shall  be  tilled  with  the  glory  of 

22  the  Lord.  ''Because  all  those  men  which  have  seen  my  glory,  and  my  miracles, 
which  I  did  in  Egypt  and  in  the  wilderness,  and  have  tempted  me  now  these  ten 

23  times,  and  have  not  hearkened  to  my  voice ;  Surely  they  shall  not  see  the  land 
which  I  sware  unto  their  fathers,  neither  shall  any  of  them  that  "'provoked  me  see 

24  it :  But  my  servant  Caleb,  because  he  had  another  spirit  with  him,  and  hath  fol- 
lowed me  fully,  him  will  I  bring  into  the  land  wherein  he  went ;  and  his  seed  shall 

25  possess  it.  "(Now  the  Amalekites  and  the  Canaanites  dwelt  in  the  valley.)  To- 
morrow turn  you,  and  get  you  into  the  wilderness  by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea. 

26,  27  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  saying.  How  long  shall  I 
bear  loith  this  evil  congregation,  which   murmur  against  me  ?     I  have  heard  the 

28  murmurings  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  they  murmur  against  me.  Say  unto 
them.   As  truly  as  I   live,   saith   the  Lord,  as  ye  have  spoken  in  mine  ears, 

29  so  will  I  do  to  you :  Your  carcasses  shall  fall  in  this  wilderness,  and  all  that  were 
^numbered  of  you,  according  to  your  whole  number,  from  twenty  years  old  and 

30  upward,  which  have  murmured  against  me.  Doubtless  ye  shall  not  come  into  the 
land,  concerning  which  I  *sware  to  make  you  dwell  therein,  save  Caleb  the  son  of 

31  Jephunneh,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun.  But  your  little  ones,  which  ye  said  should 
be  a  prey,  them  will  I  bring  in,  and  they  shall  know  the  land  which  ye  have  des- 

32,  33  pised.  But  as  for  you,  your  carcasses,  they  shall  fall  in  this  wilderness.  And 
your  children  "shall  wander  in  the  wilderness  forty  years,  and  bear  your  whore- 

34  doms,  until  your  carcasses  be  wasted  in  the  wilderness.  After  the  number  of  the 
days  in  which  ye  searched  the  land,  even  forty  days,  each  day  for  a  year,  shall  ye 

35  bear  your  iniquities,  even  forty  vears,  and  ye  shall  know  ^ray  ^breach  of  promise.  I 
the  Lord  have  said,  I  will  surely  do  it  unto  all  this  evil  congregation,  that  are 
gathered  together  agamst  me  :  in  this  wilderness  they  shall  be  consumed,  and  there 
they  shall  die. 

36  And  the  men  which  Moses  sent  to  'search  the  land,  who  returned,  and  made  all 
the  congregation  to  murmur  against  him,  by  bringing  up  a  slander  upon  the  land. 

37  Even  those  men  that  did  bring  up  the  evil  report  upon  the  land,  died  by  the  plague 

38  before  the  Lord.     But  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh 

39  ^which  xvere  of  the  men  that  went  to  search  the  land,  lived  still.  And  Moses  told 
these  sayings  unto  all  the  children  of  Israel :  and  the  people  mourned  greatly. 

40  And  they  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  gat  them  up  into  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  saying,  Lo,  we  be  here,  and  will  go  up  unto  the  place  ^which  the  Lord 

41  hath  promised  :  for  we  have  sinned.     And  Moses  said.  Wherefore  now  do  ye  trans- 

42  gress  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  ?  but  it  shall  not  prosper.     Go  not  up,  tor  the 

43  Lord  is  not  among  you  :  that  ye  be  not  smitten  before  your  enemies.  For  the 
Amalekites  and  the  Canaanites  are  there  before  you,  and  ye  shall  fall  by  the  sword : 
because  ye  are  turned  away  from  the  Lord,  therefore  the  Lord  wdl  not  be  with 


76  NUMBERS. 


44  you.     But  they  presumed  to  go  up  unto  the  hill  top  :  nevertheless  the  ark  of  the 

45  covenant  of  the  Lord,  and  Moses,  departed  not  out  of  the  camp.  Then  the  Ama- 
lekites  came  down,  and  the  Canaanites  which  dwelt  in  that  hill,  and  smote  them, 
and  discomfited  them,  even  unto  Hormah. 

1  Heb.  shadotc.  '  Or,  hitherto.  *  Heb.  If  they. 

*  Heb.  lifted  up  my  hand.  *  Or,  feed.  6  Or,  altering  of  my  purpose. 

»  omit  God.  *  doth— bring.  «  spied  ont. 

^congregation.  *  said  to  stone.  '  Tent  of  Meeting. 

g  reject.  ^  not  trust  in  me.  '  done. 

k  destroy.  '  yet  the  Egyptians  have  heard  that  thou  broughtest, 

'^  have  told.  "omit /or.  "Lord. 

p  and  all.  '  oniii  Because.  '  rejected. 

•  Also  the  Amalekite  and  the  Canaanite  dwelling  in  the  land.  *  mustered, 
n  shall  be  shepherds.  ^  my  alienation.  »  spy  out. 

J  remained  alive  of  the  men,  etc.  «  of  which  the  LORD  spake. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Vers.  13, 14.  The  1 — 1  conjoin  parataetically  several  affirmations,  according  to  the  simple  Heb.  idiom,  where 
we  would  use  subordinate  clauses,  or  parenthesis,  or  both — ami,  and  the  like,  or  several  of  these  together.  See 
Exod.  ii.  11-13.  In  such  cases  there  is  no  rule  but  that  of  a  fine  interpreting  sense.  Keil  in  the  present  case 
translates  :  "  Not  only  the  Egyptians  have  heard — they  have  also  told." 

Ver.  21.  'Ul  N7'3''1.  In  Hebrew  the  passive  may  retain  the  accusative  of  the  remoter  object.  This  is  the 
case  with  all  verbs  that  in  the  active  take  two  accusatives ;  e.g.  'lT^^7^~T^ii  nXTHI  Lev.  xiii.  49,  "and  it  shall 
be  shown  (to)  the  priest,"  which  is  equivalent  to  "  the  priest  shall  be  shown  (made  to  see)  it."  Similarly,  ''  fill  the 
earth  (with)  His  glory  "  (accust.  after  verbs  of  fullness  see  Fuekst  Lex.  N/O),  may  in  Hebrew  be  rendered  pas- 
sively "  his  glory  is  the  fullness  (of)  the  earth."    Comp.  Isa.  vi.  3.    'n'lD3    "p^i^-'^^    ^^'^  "  dullness  of  all  the 

I  '  :         1  V  T  T         T  : 

earth  his  glory;"  S^/O  being  substantive,  see  Naegelsbach  on  Isa.  vi.  3. 

Ver.  23  and  28.  The  conjunction  Q5<  (/denies  when  used  in  oaths:  thus  ver.  23.  "(fthey  see  the  land,"  i.  e., 
they  shall  not  see.    On  the  contrary  J<7  DX  afiirms,  ver.  28,  "surely  I  will  do  to  you." 

Ver.  24.  '"^PX  XvO'l :  comp.  xxxii.  11,  12.  A  pregnant  construction,  by  wliich  a  preposition  of  motion  is 
joined  to  a  verb  imparting  to  it  a  sense  of  motion  that  it  otherwise  has  not;  Ewald,  g  282  c.  "  It  is  a  constructio 
praegnans  for  '"inS  P377  K70  "  fulfilled  to  walk  behind  me,  i.  e.,  followed  me  fully,"  Keil.  Comp.  njj^  with  ?D 
Ps.  xxii.  22,  and  piyn  with  TO,  Isa.  xxxviii.  17,  where  see  in  Naegelsb.  Comm.    Comp.  also  Heb.  v.  7,  (cil  eio-a- 

_      I   _T    T  I    • 

Ver.  27.  ny"in  mj'7  'PO~n^' ;  "  an  aposiopesis,  'How  long  this  evil  congregation'  (,sc.  '  shall  I  forgive  it,')  the 

TTTT""T-"T~ 

simplest  way  being,  as  Rosexmueller  suggests  to  supply  XyX  from  ver.  18,"  Keil.  The  Eng.  version  supplies 
"  shall  I  bear  with."  BIatjrer  says :  "nothing  is  wanting.  We  have  the  subject  in  n^'^l,  which  is  not  an  adjec- 
tive  belonging  to  mj-',  but  a  substantive  as  in  Hos.  x.  15.  Therefore  the  sense  is  :  '  how  long  to  this  (which  force 
lies  in  the  article)  congregation  will  be  this  evil,  with  which  they  murmur  against  me.'  Unless  I  greatly  err, 
what  follows  of  itself  supplies  this  rendering,"  mz.  ver.  27  b. 

Ver.  43.  "  ?2~7J7~'3,  literally  for  therefore ;  but  the  cause  is  put  for  the  effect,  as  we  may  say :  therefore  for 
this  reason  he  is  a  prince,  which  lias  then  the  sense  of  assigning  a  cause  or  reason.  Comp.  Gen.  xviii.  5 ;  xix.  8 ; 
Num.  X.  31."  Naegelsbach's  Gram.,  g  110,  2.    Ewald,  §  353  a. — Tr.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  Tlie  insurrection  of  the  congregation,  vers. 
1-10.  The  grief  of  despondency  is  followed  by 
an  embittered  feeling  against  Moses  and  Aaron. 
They  desire  to  choose  a  commander  against 
Moses  and  Aaron.  They  desire  to  choo.se  a 
commander,  who  shall  lead  them  back  to  Egypt. 
Moses  and  Aaron  cast  themselves  upon  their 
faces  before  God ;  for  it  seems  to  be  all  over 
with  their  power  now:  their  only  refuge  is  in 
prayer.  Joshua  and  Caleb,  on  the  other  hand, 
stand  out  heroically  against  the  congregation, 
and  try  the  power  of  eloquence.  In  their  eyes 
despondency  is  a  rebellion  against  God.  They 
are  food  for  us,  that  is,  we  will  "eat  them  like 
bread,"    say  the  young  heroes.     Their  shadow 


is  departed  from  them.  Their  existence  is  an 
abnormal  one,  for  God  no  longer  protects  them; 
they  are  ripe  for  judgment.  The  people,  how- 
ever, instead  of  allowing  themselves  to  be  en- 
couraged, are  minded  to  stone  them.  Then 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  appears  at  the  Tent  of 
Meeting  to  all  the  children  of  Israel.  Keil 
says:  in  a  flash  of  light  suddenly  lightening  up 
near  the  Tabernacle.  We  prefer  to  say,  that  it 
was  in  a  mysterious  occurrence,  of  which  we 
have  no  further  knowledge.  The  Glory  of  the 
Lord  appeared  once  in  the  wilderness  (Ex.  xvi. 
10) ;  once  in  the  Tabernacle  at  the  time  of  its 
dedication  (Exod.  xl.  34) ;  then  at  the  kindling 
of  the  first  olTering  (Lev.  ix.  23);  afterwards 
opposite  the  company  of  Korah  (chap.  xvi.  19), 
and  again  finally  in  front  of  the  murmuring 
congregation,  who  would  hold  Moses  and  Aaron 


CHAP.  XIV.  1-45. 


77 


answerable  for  the  destruction  of  the  company 
of  Korah  (chap.  xvii.  7).  A  distinction  between 
the  different  modes  of  its  appearance  is  found 
in  the  fact  that,  when  the  people  are  in  a  devout 
temper,  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appears  to  them 
in  the  court  of  the  Taberniicle  or  above  it;  but 
when  they  are  in  a  condition  of  insurrection,  it 
appears  in  a  sign  more  or  less  disconnected 
from  the  Tabernacle.  The  latest  appearance  of 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  forms  a  single  exception 
to  this  rule.  Here  the  seditious  congregation 
is  cut  off  from  the  Tabernacle.  It  is  not  de- 
clared in  the  present  passage  how  Moses  and 
Aaron  raised  themselves  again  from  their  prone 
position.  At  all  events  Moses  can  now  meet  the 
people  with  words  of  thunder.  The  rule  may 
be  laid  down,  that  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appears 
when  the  people  of  God  are  in  the  best  condi- 
tioa,  and  then  also  when  they  appear  to  be  in 
the  worst  case. 

2.  The  Threats  of  Jehovah,  vers.  11-19.  He 
■will  crush  out  this  despicable  people,  who  scorn 
Him,  and  with  Moses  begin  again  a  new  history 
of  the  people.  The  expression  of  His  displea- 
sure is  much  stronger  than  at  the  erection  of 
the  golden  calf  (chap,  xxxii.  10).  Quo  usque  is 
the  expression  here.  The  offense  is  denoted 
VNJ ;  it  is  enhanced  by  the  incredulous  disre- 
gard of  all  the  signs  which  Jehovah  has  done 
among  them.  The  intercession  of  Moses  is  like- 
wise much  more  earnest  than  upon  the  other 
occasion;  though  upon  the  whole  the  same  mo- 
tives are  appealed  to  (vers.  13-19).  He  appeals 
to  the  consistency  of  the  divine  grace,  to  the 
honor  of  Jehovah.  "For  the  sake  of  this  His 
honor  God  at  a  later  period  also  did  not  suffer 
Israel  to  perish  in  Egypt;  comp.  Isa.  xlviii.  9 
and  11 ;  lii.  5  and  42  ;  xxxvi.  22  et  seq."  (Keil). 
Moses  had  not  forgotten  either  the  sermon  of 
Jehovah  upon  Mount  Sinai  concerning  the  grace 
of  Jehovah  (ver.  18).  Let  us  bear  in  mind  that 
it  is  the  stern  lawgiver  himself  who  again  and 
again  appeals  for  grace  and  forgiveness. 

6.  The  Pardon,  ver.  20.  Forgiveness  is  granted 
in  divine  dialectic  [distribution  of  notions  accord- 
ing to  their  kind. — Tr.].  The  people,  as  a  peo- 
ple, shall  not  be  exterminated,  but  rather  shall 
all  the  earth  through  them  be  filled  with  the 
glory  of  the  Lord.  The  oath  of  Jehovah  here  is 
of  the  highest  significance,  of  unexampled  im- 
portance. For  all  the  men  [  ?  ].  A  remarkable 
phrase,  which  gives  us  to  understand,  that  the 
very  judgment  upon  this  generation  in  the  wil- 
derness will  contribute  its  share  to  spread  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  through  all  the  earth.  And 
just  that  result  has  come  about. 

6.  The  Limitations  of  the  Forgiveness:  the  Sen- 
tence of  Judgment  (vers.  22-25).  All  those  men 
who  have  seen  Jehovah's  miracles  of  preserva- 
tion, from  Egypt  up  to  this  point,  and  have  yet 
remained  incredulous  and  disobedient,  shall  not 
see  the  land  of  Canaan;  that  is.  they  shall  per- 
ish in  the  wilderness.  They  have  tempted  me 
now  ten  times,  that  is,  have  provoked  me  to  re- 
tract the  promise.  The  rabbins  accepted  lite- 
rally this  round,  eymbolical  number,  indicative 
of  a  complete  historical  course  of  events,  assign- 
ing the  different  occasions  as  follows:  (1) 
The  murmurs  at  the  Red  Sea;   (2)   at  Marah ; 


(3)  in  the  desert  of  Sin  (Exod.  xvi.  2) ;  (4)  at 
Rephidim;  (5)  at  Horeb  (Exod.  xxxii.);  (6) 
Taberah  ;  (7)  Kibroth-Hattaavah  ;  (8)  at  Kadesh 
now;  (9  and  10).  for  these  numbers  "the  two- 
fold rebellion  of  a  number  against  the  commands 
of  God  on  the  bestowal  of  the  manna  (Exod. 
xvi.  20  and  27)  is  counted."  Evidently  we  have 
here  in  Kadesh  to  do  with  two  revolts  preceding 
the  faction  of  Korah,  also  Miriam?  and  the 
first  temptation  was  the  uprising  against  Moses 
and  Aaron  while  yet  in  Egypt  (Exod.  v.).  But 
it  is  not  necessary  to  take  the  round  number 
exactly.  Jehovah  does  not  except  those  either 
who  have  only  inwardly  rebelled ;  He  makes 
two  classes,  according  to  the  merely  inward  re- 
volt, and  according  to  the  outwardly  accom- 
plished insurrection  (ver.  23).  When  to  these 
men  He  opposes  Caleb,  He  means  him  only  as  the 
foremost  of  the  exceptions.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Levi  there  is  no  question  ;  at  most  only  indivi- 
duals are  inwardly  involved.  Farther  on  Joshua 
is  also  made  an  exception.  And  the  minors  and 
those  born  in  the  intervening  time  form  the  be- 
ginning of  the  new  generation.  Caleb  "had 
another  spirit,"  and  was  resolute  in  following 
Jehovah.  It  was  moreover  to  his  special  credit, 
that  he  had  reported  with  such  fortitude  con- 
cerning the  most  terrible  portion  of  the  land, 
the  region  of  Anak  at  Hebron  (see  Josh.  xiv.  7 
et  seq.).  And  this  very  region  therefore  is  to 
become  his  inheritance.  We  cannot  regard  the 
adjunct  clause:  And  the  Amalekites  and 
Canaanites  dwelling  in  the  valley,  as 
giving  the  motive  for  the  following:  "  To-mor- 
ro'w  turn  you.  Jehovah  cannot  intend  to 
confirm  the  people  in  their  fears.  Nor  can  it 
be  said,  either,  that  these  two  races  were  settled 
chiefly  in  the  Wady  Murreh.  Thus  Caleb's  do- 
minion was  to  extend  from  this  region  of  the 
Amalekites  down  to  the  lowlands  where  the 
Canaanites  dwelt.  Moreover,  the  command: 
"To-morrow  turn  you,"  does  not  require  an 
immediate  departure  towards  the  Red  Sea.  But 
any  way,  they  must  no  longer  think  of  attacking 
Palestine  from  this  side,  but  take  the  direction 
backwards  into  the  desert  toward  the  Red  Sea. 
Immediately  afterwards  they  came  through  their 
insolence  to  such  a  wretched  plight,  that  they 
were  only  able  to  fulfil  this  command  after  nearly 
forty  years  had  passed  by. 

9.  The  Intensifying  of  the  Judgment  (vers.  26- 
38).  This  heightened  reiteration  is  only  to  be 
explained  by  the  prolonged  murmuring  disposi- 
tion of  the  congregation,  just  as  the  same  thing 
is  spoken  of  in  chap.  xvii.  after  the  destruction 
of  the  company  of  Korah.  The  oath  is  repeated. 
Your  bodies  shall  fall  down  in  the  wilderness; 
see  1  Cor.  xix.  5.  The  precise  age  of  the  mur- 
murers  is  given,  from  twenty  years  upwards. 
Joshua's  name  is  now  joined  to  Caleb's.  Pro- 
mise for  the  children,  that  they  had  regarded 
as  doomed  to  perish,  ver.  31.  The  children  will 
live,  but  must  sustain  themselves  as  nomads  with 
their  herds  a  long  time  in  the  desert,  to  expiate 
the  whoredom,  i.  e.  the  spiritual  apostacy  of 
their  fathers.  Twice  does  this  mighty  concep- 
tion of  their  fall  appear  in  our  passage;  and  it 
is  carried  afterward  through  the  entire  Scrip- 
tures (as  opposed  to  the  bridal  form  of  the  rela- 
tion between  Jehovah   and   His  people),   to  be 


78 


NUMBERS. 


completed  in  the  Babylonian  whore,  the  Apoca- 
lyptic image  of  judgment.  The  time  for  the 
expiation  was  fortj'  years;  a  round  number,  in 
which  the  commencement  and  the  end  of  the 
migration  were  included,  and  between  which  and 
the  forty  days  of  the  expedition  of  the  spies  a 
parallel  is  drawn.  For  every  day  of  cowardice 
and  baseness  in  matters  concerning  the  kingdom  of 
God^  a  whole  year  is  required  for  atonement.  It 
is  brought  out  with  emphasis,  that  this  blow 
fell  first  of  all  upon  the  cowardly  spies ;  yet 
that  does  not  mean,  that  they  were  suddenly 
smitten  by  it.  The  more  wondrous  was  the 
preservation  of  the  two  faithful  ones,  Joshua 
and  Caleb ;  henee  they  are  a  second  time  ex- 
pressly made  prominent. 

10.  The  Sorrow  of  the  People,  and  the  Change 
from  Despair  to  Presumption  (vers.  39-45).  This 
is  a  picture  true  to  the  life,  of  false,  or  at  least 
self-willed,  repentance.  From  the  passionate 
sorrow  of  the  people  issues  the  passionate  war- 
like excursion,  undertaken  in  opposition  to  the 
express  decision  of  Jehovah,  iu  spite  of  the 
warnings  of  Moses,  without  his  leadership,  and 
without  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant;  and  so  it  is 
not  the  army  of  God  under  His  standard.  The 
position  for  assault  is  also  against  them,  since 
the  Amalekites  and  Canaanites  rush  down  upon 
them  from  the  mountains.  They  are  beaten  and 
scattered  as  far  as  Hormah.  The  town  was  sit- 
uated "in  the  Negeb  (chap,  xxxiii,  40);  it  was 
then  a  royal  city  (Josh.  xii.  14),  and  eventually 
appears  as  belonging  now  to  Judah  (Josh.  xv. 
30),  now  to  Simeon  (Josh.  xix.  4;  1  Cbron.  iv. 
30).  It  first  received  the  name,  here  used  pro- 
leptically,  in  the  beginning  of  the  period  of  the 
Judges.  Up  to  that  tiipe  it  was  called  Zephat 
(Judg.  i.  17),"  Knobel,  whom  see  for  further 
particulars.  The  assembling  of  the  scattered 
fugitives  to  the  Tabernacle  and  to  those  that 
had  remained  at  Kadesh,  and  the  expiation  of 
the  forty  years  becomes  thus  a  settled  matter. 

[Now  the  Amaleklte  and  the  Canaan- 
ite  dwell  in  the  valley,  ver,  25.  Da. 
Lanoe's  construction  of  this  clause  seems  much 
more  forced  than  the  view  he  rejects,  which  is 
moreover  the  one  generally  accepted.  It  forms 
no  appropriate  description  of  Caleb's  final  inhe- 
ritance. Whatever  the  clause  means,  it  is  natu- 
ral to  take  it  as  giving  the  motive  for  the  com- 
mand: to-morrow  turn  ye,  etc.;  cemp.  Deut. 
i.  40.  It  might  do  to  understand  it  as  the  an- 
nouncement of  a  sentence,  viz.  "the  Canaanite 
for  the  present  shall  remain  in  occupancy,  and 
ye  must  retire  into  the  desert."     But   the  word 

p!?i:'.^.  ''i°  ^^«  valley,"  seems  fatal  to  such  a 
construction.  The  word  itself  never  occurs 
gencricaily  for  a  whole  country,  but  always  for 
some  locality  that  is  a  valley.  Moreover,  the 
article  *'the  valley"  points  to  a  definite  valley 
known  to  those  aildressed.  Thus  the  common 
view  understands  the  valley  to  be  meant  that 
was  at  hand  near  Kadesh,  and  that  would  be 
the  natural  avenue  for  the  proposed  invasion. 
There  the  Canaanites  had  taken  position  to  re- 
pel  the    invaders.      The    word    3.K/V,  rendered 

"dwell,"  is  used  to  describe  the  position  of  an 
attacking  party  in  ambush.  Josh.  viii.  9.  Since 
the  Israelites  would  not  encounter   the  enemy, 


!  they    must    retire    to    the    desert.      And    got 
them    up    to   the   top  of    the    mountain, 

ver.  40.  This  verse  in  its  local  reference  con- 
nects closely  with  ver.  25,  and  confirms  the  view 
just  given.  "  The  mountain"  here  and  "the  val- 
ley" there  acquire  their  definiteness  from  the 
same  circumstance,  viz.,  their  being  at  hand  and 
forming  the  two  commanding  features  of  the  en- 
virons of  Kadesh.  The  account  makes  them  an- 
tithetical. Because  the  Canaanites  were  in  the 
valley,  the  Israelites  took  to  the  mountain;  per- 
haps in  the  spirit  of  the  Syrian  that  said : 
"Jehovah  is  a  God  of  mountains  and  not  a  God 
of  valleys"  2  Kings  xx.  28.  This  reference  will 
at  least  serve  to  illustrate  the  antithetical  use  of 
these  words. 

"  The  Israelites,  then,  must  have  made  for  the 
hills  of  the  Amorites,  those  in  the  north-east  of 
Wady  Hanein,  in  which  the  forces  of  their  ene- 
mies were  no  doubt  concentrated.  Had  they 
succeeded  in  forcing  their  way  into  this  locality, 
both  roads  to  Palestine  would  have  been  open  to 
them:  either  the  western  route  by  Ruheibeh  and 
Khalasah,  or  that  through  the  heart  of  the  moun- 
tains by  the  Dheigatel-Amerin  and  Wady  Marreh." 
E.  H.  Palme-r,  Desert  of  the  Exodus,  chap.  xxv. 
The  same  author  identifies  Hormah  with  Sebaita, 
which  is  distant  from  Ain  Gadis  (the  supposed 
site  of  Kadesh)  only  about  twenty  miles.  "The 
names  Dheigat  el  Amerin  (Ravine  of  the  Amor- 
ites) and  Ras  Amir  (the  former  a  valley  cutting 
the  range  of  hills  to  the  north  of  Sebaita,  and 
the  latter  a  chain  of  low  mountains  fifteen  miles 
to  the  south-west  of  El  Meshrifeh)  seem  to  point 
to  the  identification  of  this  neighborhood  with 
the  hill  country  of  the  Amorites,  and  the  scene 
of  the  battle,  after  the  return  of  the  spies." 
"The  name  Sebaita  is  etymologically  identical 
with  the  Zephath  of  the  Bible.  Zephath  signifies 
a  watch-tower ;  and  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that 
the  fortress  of  Ei  Meshrifeh,  discovered  by  us  iu 
the  same  neighborhood,  exactly  corresponds  to 
this,  both  in  its  position  and  in  the  meaning  of 
the  name."  Referrin-g  to  Judges  i.  17  that  men- 
tions Zephath  and  says:  "the  name  of  the  city 
was  called  Hormah,"  the  same  author  suggests 
that  there  may  have  been  a  watch-tower  Zephath 
that  commanded  the  approach  to  the  plain  in 
which  the  city  lay,  and  that  the  city  may  have 
taken  its  name  from  the  tower,  "as  the  City  of 
the  Watch-Tower."  This  city  was  then  after- 
wards called  Hormah.  Ibid.  chap.  xix. 

The  narrative  has  reached  the  point  where  for 
the  next  thirty-eight  (?)  or  thirty-seven  or  less 
years  there  is  a  blank  with  respect  to  the  order 
of  events  and  the  local  residence  or  movements  of 
the  Israelites.  In  chap,  xxxiii.  16-36  there  are 
enumerated  twenty  stations  between  Sinai  and 
Kadesh,  or  twenty-two  including  Sinai  and  Ka- 
desh. But  in  Deut.  i.  2  it  is  said:  "There  are 
eleven  days'  journey  from  Horeb  by  the  way  of 
Mount  Seir  unto  Kadesh-Barnea."  The  choice 
of  the  route  by  Mount  Seir  shows  that  the  way 
was  not  the  directest  one.  But  these  twenty-one 
stations  or  encampments  are  proof  that  the  way 
was  devious  beyond  the  possibility  of  our  tracing 
it.  The  last  definite  encampment  was  mentioned 
xii.  16,  viz.,  Hazeroth,  which  was  the  second  of 
the  twenty-one  after  Sinai  mentioned  in  xxxiii. 
16-36.     There  were  then  eighteen  between  that 


CHAP.  XIV.  1-45. 


79 


and  Kadesh,  which  is  the  same  as  "the  mountain 
of  the  Amorites,  Deut.  i.  19,  20.  Only  two  of 
these  are  recognized  beyond  debate,  viz.,  Ezion- 
Gaber,  which  was  at  the  head  of  the  Elanitic 
Gulf,  and  Mt.  Hor.  On  the  others,  see  below  at 
chap,  xxxiii.  Some  of  them  may  have  been 
places  of  sojourn  during  the  forty  days  that  the 
spies  were  absent,  ending  at  Kadesh,  where  the 
spies  found  the  host  at  their  return.  For  no- 
thing requires  us  to  suppose  that  the  host  reached 
Kadesh  before  they  resorted  to  the  plan  of  send- 
ing the  Spies.  The  probability  is  that  they  would 
do  so  earlier.  As  far  as  tlie  encampments  named 
in  xxxiii.  16-86  have  been  conjecturally  identi- 
fied, they  agree  as  well  with  the  view  that  they 
followed  consecutively  in  the  order  named  till 
the  host  reached  Kadesh  for  the  first  time,  and 
that  the  station  Kadesh  of  xxxiii.  36  is  the  same 
as  that  of  our  chap.  xiv.  as  with  any  other  view. 
This  view  has  the  merit  of  taking  the  list  of  sta- 
tions in  xxxiii.  simply  for  what  it  pretends  to  be, 
viz.,  a  catalogue,  that  gives  the  stations  consecu- 
tively ;  that  refers  to  localities  by  one  and  the 
same  name,  being  the  name  elsewhere  used  in 
this  book  for  the  same  place;  that  is  meant  to 
harmonize  with  the  account  of  the  book  in  which 
it  is  found ;  that  gives  the  order  of  stations  as 
accurately  where  we  cannot  otherwise  verify  it 
as  it  does  in  cases  where  we  can  {e.g.,  Kadesh, 
Mt.  Hor, — Oboth,  Iji-abarim,  comp.  xx.  1,  22; 
xxii.  10,  11  and  xxxiii.  37,  44).  The  view  that 
takes  Rithmah  (xxxiii.  18)  to  be  another  name 
for  Kadesh  (Kuetz,  II.,  \  30,  1 ;  Keil),  or  Bene- 
jaa-kan  to  be  another  name  for  Kadesh  (Dr. 
Lanoe  below  on  xxi.  10-20)  imputes  to  the  cata- 
logue of  chap,  xxxiii.  an  arbitrariness  in  the  use 
of  names  that  would  make  it  worthless  for  that 
purpose  for  which  it  was  evidently  recorded  in 
this  book  of  Numbers. 

It  is  represented  by  some,  who  take  the  view 
just  referred  to,  that  the  stations  mentioned  af- 
ter Rithmah  (xxxiii.  18)  to  Kadesh  (ver.  36)  oc- 
curred in  wanderings  that  brought  the  host  back 
to  Kndesh  a  second  time  {Bih.  Comm.  on  xxxiii.; 
Smith's  Bib.  Diet.  "Wanderings").  But  it  is  as 
easy  to  conceive  of  their  occurrence  in  the  period 
between  the  departure  from  Hazeroth  and  the 
first  arrival  at  Kadesh.  This  will  appear  from 
a  careful  observation  of  what  our  book  details 
concerning  that  journey.  The  common  error  is 
to  overlook  the  evidences  that  the  journey  from 
Sinai  to  Kadesh  was  made  slowly. 

Intimation  that  the  journey  would  be  made  in 
no  haste  is  given  in  the  institutions  for  the  dis- 
cipline and  tactics  of  the  encampment  and  the 
order  of  march.  Such  regulations  would  not 
have  been  adopted  for  a  period  of  only  eighty  or 
ninety  days;  and  had  the  conquest  of  Canaan 
begun  on  the  first  arrival  at  Kadesh  after  about 
eighty  days,  these  regulations  could  no  more  have 
Vjeen  adhered  to  than  they  afterwards  were  when 
Joshua  began  the  conquest. 

Then  the  details  of  the  march  as  far  as  Haze- 
roth reveal  great  deliberateness.  "Three  days' 
journey"  (x.  33)  was  required  from  Sinai  to 
Kibroth-Hattaavah,  which  is  but  one  day's  jour- 
ney for  ordinary  travellers  (E.  H.  Palmer,  ibid, 
chap.  xxv. ).  This  may  be  taken  as  an  exam- 
ple of  the  short  stages  that  such  a  host  could 
make.     Therefore  the  eleven  days'  journey  men- 


tioned Deut.  i.  2  cannot  mean  that  the  distance 
from  Sinai  to  Kadesh  could  be  made  in  that  time 
by  such  a  host  as  the  millions  of  Israel,  as  is 
supposed  by  some  (Kurtz,  III.,  p.  245).  E.  H. 
Palmer  {ibid.  chap,  xxx.)  gives  a  table  show- 
ing how  the  stations  mentioned  in  Num.  xxxiii., 
as  far  as  identified,  would  make  just  eleven  days' 
journey  for  the  modern  traveller  from  Sinai  to 
Kadesh.  Besides  this,  the  delay  of  seven  days 
at  Hazeroth  on  Miriam's  acccount  (xii.  14),  and 
the  forty  days'  scouting  of  the  spies  show  how 
little  this  journey  was  made  with  haste. 

Moreover  a  comparison  of  x.  11  with  xiii.  20 
shows  that  the  march  from  Sinai  began  on  the 
20th  day  of  the  second  month  (or  the  middle  of 
May),  and  that  the  host  was  at  Kadesh  at  "  the 
time  of  the  first  ripe  grapes  "  (or  say  about  Aug. 
1st).  The  shortest  period  indicated  by  that  (or 
in  other  words,  taking  this  as  belonging  to  one 
year),  is  about  seventy  days,  or  at  most  eighty 
days.  In  itself  this  is  a  very  short  time  for  such 
a  host  to  make  the  journey  to  Kadesh.  Still  it 
would  have  been  doing  little  more  than  was  ac- 
complished from  Ramesis  to  Sinai.  But,  as  has 
been  shown,  our  narrative  intimates  the  very  re- 
verse of  such  speed.  We  actually  have  the  ac- 
count of  eighty  days  of  this  journey,  viz.: 

From  Sinai  to  Kibroth  H.  x.  33  -     3  days. 

At  Kibroth  Hattaavah  xi.  20     -  -  30  days. 

At  Hazeroth  xi.  35;  xii.  14  -     -  -     7  days. 

In  Paran  xii.  16;  xiv.  34     -     -  -  40  days. 

Total 80  days. 

If,  then,  we  suppose  that  the  journey  from  Sinai 
to  Kadesh  was  made  in  the  period  from  about 
May  15th  to  August  1st  of  the  same  year,  no 
margin  is  left  for  the  occurrence  of  many  things 
that  are  referred  to  in  the  accounts  of  this  jour- 
ney, and  for  much  more  that  must  obviously  have 
occurred  and  been  passed  over  without  notice  in 
Numb,  and  Deut. 

Besides  Hazeroth  is  but  two  days'  journey 
from  Sinai  for  the  common  traveller,  while  the 
whole  distance  to  Kadesh  was  eleven  days.  Yet 
before  the  host  left  Hazeroth  they  had  spent 
forty  days  at  least,  and  probably  much  more. 
Assuming,  then,  that  Hazeroth  has  been  properly 
identified  (see  at  xi.  35),  there  remain  only  forty 
days  for  the  rest  of  the  route  to  Kadesh  up  to  the 
moment  of  the  return  of  the  spies.  This  would 
require  us  to  suppose  that  the  spies  had  been 
sent  from  Hazeroth,  and  that,  too,  nine  (9)  days 
before  the  departure  of  the  host,  in  order  to  give 
them  forty  days  in  Canaan.  It  would  also  re- 
quire us  to  suppose  that  the  host  marched  at  a 
rate  of  speed  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  pro- 
gress made  in  any  part  of  the  journey  from 
Egypt  to  Canaan,  where  the  data  enable  us  to 
measure  it  exactly. 

Therefore  we  must  infer  that  the  journey  from 
Sinai  to  Kadesh  lasted  at  least  from  May  of  the 
second  year  of  the  Exodus  to  July  or  August  of 
the  third  year,  i.  e.,  fourteen  or  fifteen  months. 
See  Dr.  Lanoe's  comment  below  on  xx.  1  sqq. 
where  he  reaches  a  like  result  by  a  different 
process.  It  may  even  have  lasted  longer — a  possi- 
bility that  is  consistent  with  the  foregoing  con- 
siderations, and  that  it  may  be  an  advantage  to 


80 


NUMBERS. 


hold  in  reserve  to  meet  requirements  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  wanderings  at  present  overlooked. 
But  for  the  present  we  find  a  long  enough  period 
in  the  fourteen  or  fifteen  months  to  admit  of 
eighteen  encampments  between  Hazeroth  and 
Kadesh.  There  is  good  reason,  therefore,  for 
taking  xxsiii.  16-36  in  its  plainest  and  prima 
facie  sense,  as  giving  the  stations  in  their  order 
till  the  first  arrival  at  Kadesh.  Moreover  these 
considerations  support  the  view  maintained  in 
the  present  commentary  that  there  was  only  one 
vi.sit  to  Kadesh,  and  that  a  lasting  one.  And 
this  is  done  without  the  arbitrariness  in  inter- 
preting names  and  rendering  verbs  to  which  Dr. 
Laxge  resorts,  e.g.,  in  commenting  on  xxi.  10- 
20:  36-43. 

We  may  therefore  regard  Deut.  i.  46:  "So  ye 
abode  in  Kadesh  many  days,"  as  descriptive  of 
the  whole  period  of  thirty-seven  years  or  less  till 
the  story  is  resumed,  beginning  again  at  Kadesh. 
Then  To-morrow  turn  ye,  etc..  Num.  xiv.  25, 
is  a  command  to  abandon  the  invasion  of  Canaan 
on  the  south,  and  turn  in  that  direction  that  was 
afterwards  successful.  This  command  began  to 
be  executed  by  what  is  narrated  xx.  14  sqq. 
To-morrow  presents  no  obstacle  to  this  view. 
For  the  Heb.  ino,  that  is  so  rendered,  has  not 
the  limited  meaning  that  "to-morrow'"  has  in 
English.  See  Gen.  xxx.  33 ;  Exod.  xiii.  14,  where 
it  is  translated  "in  time  to  come,"  and  obviously 
means  the  remote  future.  This  long  sojourn  at 
Kadesh  was  spent  in  a  nomadic  life  (ver.  33,  your 
children  shall  be  shepherds),  and  of  course 
involved  a  dispersion  and  moving  about  over  a 
considerable  area,  which  may  have  embraced 
the  most  or  all  of  the  desert  of  Paran,  or  what  is 
now  called  Et-Tih.  This,  according  to  Wilton 
and  E.  H.  Palmer,  comprised  the  desert  of  Zin, 
which  (used,  as  it  seems,  interchangeably  with 
the  "wilderness  of  Kadesh")  comprised  the  re- 
gion from  the  head  of  the  Elanitic  Gulf,  or  Aka- 
bah.  to  the  head  of  Wady  Garaiyeh  (see  Desert  of 
the  Exodus,  chap.  xxv.).  The  period  of  say  fif- 
teen months  from  Hazeroth  to  Kadesh  had  made 
the  Israelites  familiar  with  much  of  this  region. 
They  appear  to  have  moved  hither  and  thither  in 
it,  so  that  it  is  possible  that  their  presence  there 
amounted  to  a  virtual  occupancy  of  the  land  even 
before  the  arrival  at  Kadesh.  If  that  were  so,  it 
would  explain  how  such  long  distances  could  in- 
tervene between  the  encampment  at  Ezion-Geber 
and  Kadesh,  and  then  again  Kadesh  and  Mt.  Hor 
(xxxiii.  36,  37)  which  appear  to  be  the  only  in- 
stances of  the  sort.  In  both  insfances  the  head- 
quarters of  the  host  were  moved  quickly  and  un- 
opposed through  a  region  already  occupied  by 
the  host,  while  those  dispersed  to  pasture  the 
herds  would  gather  from  various  points  to  the 
rendezvous;  first  when  the  invasion  of  Canaan 
was  to  have  begun  from  Kadesh  (xiii.  26),  again 
the  new  generation  after  thirty-seven  years,  or 
less  (xx.).  This  new  generation  was  re-assem- 
bled from  the  dispersion  of  their  nomadic  life  to 
Kadesh,  where  the  Tabernacle  and  headquarters 


of  the  nation  may  have  continued  to  abide  after 
the  events  of  chap.  xiv.  Of  this  new  departure 
chap.  XX.  14  sqq.  gives  the  account ;  and  we  must 
take  as  parallel  to  it  the  passage  xxxiii.  37; 
"And  they  removed  from  Kadesh  and  pitched  in 
Mount  Hor,  in  the  edge  of  the  land  of  Edom," 
and  the  passage  Deut.  ii.  1 :  "  Then  we  turned 
and  took  our  journey  into  the  wilderness  by  the 
way  of  the  Red  Sea,  as  the  Lord  spake  unto  me: 
and  we  compassed  Mount  Seir  many  days." 
When  this  movement  actually  began,  the  flocks 
and  herds  were  likely  still  scattered  over  a  wide 
region,  and  were  brought  up  to  Mt.  Hor  as  the 
great  rendezvous. 

The  message  of  Moses  to  Edom,  xx.  14-21,  in- 
dicates a  purpose  to  follow  a  route  to  East  Jor- 
dan that  would  not  have  brought  the  host  to  the 
Red  Sea  ;  and  this  seems  to  conflict  with  the  view 
taken  above  of  "  Turn  ye — by  the  way  of  the  Red 
Sea,"  xiv.  25.  But  Deut.  ii.  1  intimates  that 
Moses  had  a  divine  command  for  taking  the  route 
that  compassed  Mt.  tjeir,  and  that  he  did  not  take 
it  merely  in  consequence  of  the  refusal  of  Edom. 
The  message  to  Edom  may  have  been  in  compli- 
ance with  the  desires  of  the  congregation,  or 
from  some  other  motive,  without  any  expectation 
on  Moses'  part  that  Edom  would  grant  the  re- 
quest. Deut.  i.  22  represents  that  the  sending 
of  the  spies  occurred  from  a  similar  motive. 

This  extended  note  anticipates  some  of  the  ac- 
counts of  our  book.  But  Kadesh  is  (he  key  to  all 
the  geographical  problems  of  the  wanderings  after 
the  departure  from  Sinai,  and  a  species  of  trian- 
gulation  seems  necessary  at  this  point  in  order 
to  adjust  its  position.  Without  this  a  most  dis- 
turbing element  remains  to  confuse  the  consi- 
deration of  the  events  that  remain  to  be  re- 
counted.— Tr.]. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

ON    CHAPS.  XIII.  XIV. 

The  spies  and  their  report  about  Canaan.  The 
difference  between  the  objective  half  and  the  sub- 
jective half  of  their  report.  They  ought  not  to 
have  disguised  the  diSiculties  of  the  conquest  of 
Canaan ;  neither  ought  they  to  have  ignored  Je- 
hovah's promise  and  the  power  of  faith.  The 
heroic  Caleb.  Caleb  and  Joshua.  How  far  may 
one  have  completed  the  other  ?  The  judgment 
of  God  on  this  pusillanimous  generation.  On 
this  occasion  despondency  is  followed  by  pre- 
sumption ;  then  again  presumption  is  followed 
by  despondency.  Presumption  and  despondency 
are  opposed  to  one  another,  and  yet  they  are 
twin  children  of  unbelief  and  disobedience. 
They  revolve  about  each  other  as  a  wheel,  and 
are  not  to  be  separated  from  one  another.  The 
fate  of  the  forty  (thirty-eight)  years  in  the  desert 
has  still  a  mercy.  The  defeat  and  the  settlement 
in  the  desert.  How  it  reflects  the  former  useful- 
ness of  Moses.  Israel  born  in  the  desert  a  stranger 
to  Israel  born  in  Egypt. 


CHAP.   XY.  1-31. 


81 


THIRD  DIVISION. 


K4DESH  (DEUT.  I.  19;  NUM.  XX.  1;  XXVII.  14).    THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  KADESH 
AFTER  THE  DEFEAT.     THE  OBSCUEE  THIETY-EIGHT  (FORTY)  YEARS. 

Chapters  XV.  1— XX.  13. 
General  Remarks  on  the  Sojourn  of  Israel  in  Kadesh. 


Quite  in  accordance  with  writing  the  history 
of  the  Theocracy,  the  account  passes  over  the 
forty  years  without  giving  us  any  particular  ac- 
count of  them,  but  makes  prominent  here  also 
only  the  ingredients  that  were  important  to  the 
development  of  the  Theocracy.  The  first  thing 
of  moment  is  further  legislation  in  reference  to 
sacriiices,  in  which  there  plainly  crops  out  an  in- 
timation that  sacrifices  were  suspended  during 
the  stay  in  the  wilderness.  The  second  is  a  de- 
finite distinction  between  sins  of  infirmity  and 
sins  of  rebellion,  an  example  which  led  to  a  se- 
verer enforcement  of  the  Sabbath  law,  and  a 
symbolic  enforcement  of  the  legal  ordinances  in 
general  (chap.  xv.).  Opposed  to  the  enforcement 
of  legal  prescriptions  appears  the  rebellion  of 
spiritualism,  the  idea  of  the  typical  universal 
priesthood  asserting  itself  in  a  fanatical  way, 
supported  by  pretensions  of  the  rights  of  the  first- 
born and  of  birth-right  (chap.  xvi.).  In  spite  of 
the  judicial  penalty,  the  mutinous  adhesion  to 
the  fanatics  that  had  been  destroyed  continues, 
as  similar  instances  of  idolizing  often  recur  in 
ancient  and  modern  history  (Chiliasm,  Popery, 
Legitimism,  Buonapartism,  etc.),  and  only  a  new 
judgment,  expiated  by  a  mediation  of  the  or- 
dained priesthood,  barely  restores  the  considera- 
tion of  the  latter  (chap.  xvii.  1-15).  This  resto- 
ration is  completed  by  the  mysterious  history  of 
the  blooming  of  Aaron's  rod  (xvii.  10-28).  Then 
follows  a  new  confirmation  of  the  rights  of  the 
priesthood,  founded  on  its  duties,  and  a  further 
explanation  of  the  relation  between  priests  and 
Levites  (chap,  xviii.).  The  mighty  reign  of 
death  in  these  storms  of  judgment  made  necessary 
a  new  institution  of  a  simple  and  universal  pu- 
rification from  the  uncleanness  resulting  from 
contact  with  dead  bodies.  This  is  introduced  as 
sprinkling  with  holy  water,  made  holy  by  the 
ashes  of  the  red  heifer  (chap.  xix.  1-22).  The 
last  event  of  this  division  no  doubt  belongs  chro- 
nologically to  the  earlier  period  of  the  stay  in 
Kadesh,  viz.,  the  failure  of  Moses  at  the  water 
of  strife   (chap.  xx.  1-13),      But  the  narrator 


seems  to  have  put  the  history  in  this  place  be- 
cause he  would  connect  together  the  deaths  of  the 
elect  trio,  the  two  brothers  and  their  sister.  Mi- 
riam dies  at  Kadesh  (chap.  xx.  1) ;  Moses  along 
with  Aaron  receives  at  Kadesh  the  notification 
that  he  must  die  before  the  entrance  into  Canaan 
(ver.  12),  and  Aaron  dies  a  little  while  after  the 
departure  on  the  new  journey  (ver.  24). 

Kurtz  draws  a  picture  of  the  condition  of  Is- 
rael in  this  interim  of  the  thirty-eight  years  that 
by  no  means  agrees  with  the  facts  communicated 
here  [History  of  (he  Old  Covenant,  II.,  ^  42).  He 
uses  the  title  "The  period  of  the  thirty-seven 
years'  ban."  But  it  has  already  been  remarked 
that  there  can  be  no  propriety  in  calling  this  pe- 
riod a  thirty-seven  years'  ban,  seeing  that  un- 
questionably the  legislation  of  Jehovah  continued 
on  during  this  interim,  and  that,  moreover,  the 
reproach  of  idolatry  that  Amos  makes  against 
ancient  Israel  (Amos  v.  25  sqq.)  does  not  suit  a 
period  when  spiritualism  flourished  even  to  fana- 
ticism (see  also  Amos  ii.  10,  11).  Beside,  how 
could  a  people  under  a  ban  be  fed  with  manna 
from  heaven  ?  It  is  true  that  Kurtz  goes  on  to 
restrict  the  idea  of  a  ban  ;  the  rejected  genera- 
tion was  only  excluded  from  the  possession  of  the 
land  of  Canaan.  But  on  the  other  hand  the  po- 
lemic of  Kurtz  [ibid.  ii.  §  41]  is  efi'eciive  against 
the  conjectures  of  Hitzig  and  Goethe  about  Is- 
rael's abode  in  the  wilderness.  Kurtz  also 
shows  that  he  thinks  there  is  an  excess  of  literal 
interpretation  by  what  he  says  in  regard  to 
Deut.  viii.  4;  comp.  xxix.  5 ;  Neh.  ix.  21  [ibid. 
^43]:  "A  whole  series  of  both  Jewish  and 
Christian  commentators  interpret  these  passages 
without  the  least  hesitation  as  meaning  that  the 
clothes  and  shoes  of  the  Israelitish  children 
grew  with  their  growth,  and  remained  for  the 
whole  of  the  forty  years  not  in  the  least  the 
worse  for  the  wear."  See  that  author's  discus- 
sions of  this  monstrous  literalness,  which  was 
shared  by  Justin  Martyr;  and  also  his  comments 
on  Ezek,  xx.  10-26;  Amos  v.  25-27, 


NUMBERS. 


FIRST    SECTION. 

An  ordinance  about  the  future  performance  of  sacrifices.     An  indirect  promise  of 
Canaan  and  at  the  same  time  an  indirect  postponement  of  sacrifice. 

Chapter  XV.  1-31. 

1,  2     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  say  unto  them,  When  ye  be  come  into  the  land  of  your  habitations,  which  I 

3  give  unto  you,  And  will  make  an  ^offering  by  fire  unto  the  Lord,  a  burnt-offer- 
ing, or  a  sacrifice  in  'performing  a  vow,  or  in  a  freewill  offering,  or  in  your  solemn 

4  feasts,  to  make  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord,  of  the  herd,  or  of  the  flock :     Then 
shall  he  that  offereth  his  "offering  unto  the  Lord  bring  a  "meat  offering  of  a  tenth 

5  deal  of  flour,  mingled  with  the  fourth  part  of  a  hin  of  oil.     And  the  fourth  x)^^'''^ 
of  a  hin  of  wine  for  ''a  drink  offering  shalt  thou  prepare  with  the  burnt  offering  or 

6  ^sacrifice,  for  'one  lamb.     Or  for  %  ram,  thou  shalt  prepare /oj'  a  *meat  offering  two 

7  tenth  deals  of  flour,  mingled  with  the  third  part  of  a  hin  of  oil.     And  for  ""a  drink 
offering  thou  shalt  offer  the  third  part  of  a  hin  of  wine,  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the 

8  Lord.     And  when  thou  preparest  a  bullock  for  a  burnt  offering,  or  for  a  sacrifice 

9  in  'performing  a  vow,  or  peace  offerings  unto  the  Lord  ;  Then  shall  he  bring  with 
•^a  bullock  a  "meat  offering  of  three  tenth  deals  of  flour,  mingled  with  half  a  hin  of  oil. 

10  And  thou  shalt  bring  for  "^a  drink  offering  half  a  hin  of  wine, /or  an  "offering  made 

11  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord.     Thus  shall  it  be  done  for  'one  bullock, 

12  or  for  'one  ram,  or  for  a  lamb,  or  a  kid.     According  to  the  number  that  ye  shall 

13  prepare,  so  shall  ye  do  to  every  one  according  to  their  number.  All  that  are  ®born 
of  the  country  shall  do  these  things  after  this  manner,  in  offering  an  "offering  made 

14  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord.  And  if  a  stranger  sojourn  with  you,  or 
whosoever  he  among  you  in  your  generations,  and  will  offer  an  "offering  made  by 

15  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  ;  as  ye  do,  so  he  shall  do.  ''One  ordinance 
shall  be  both  for  you  of  the  congregation,  and  also  for  the  stranger  that  sojourn eth 
with  you,  an  ordinance  for  ever  in  your  generations :  as  ye  are,  so  shall  the  stranger 

16  be  before  the  Lord.  One  law  and  one  'manner  shall  be  for  you,  and  for  the 
stranger  that  sojourneth  with  you. 

17,  18     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel? 

19  and  say  unto  them.  When  ye  come  into  the  land  whither  I  bring  you.  Then  it 
shall  be,  that,  when  ye  eat  of  the  bread  of  the  land,  ye  shall  offer  up  a  heave  offer- 

20  ing  unto  the  Lord.  Ye  shall  offer  up  a  cake  of  the  first  of  your  dough /or  a  heave 
offering :  as  ye  do  the  heave   offering  of  the  threshingfloor,  so  shall  ye  heave  it. 

21  Of  the  first  of  your  dough  ye  shall  give  unto  the  Lord  a  heave  offering  in  your 
generations. 

22  And  if  ye  'have  erred,  and  not  observed  all  these  commandments,  which  the 

23  Lord  hath  spoken  unto  Moses,  Even  all  that  the  Lord  hath  commanded  you  by 
the  hand  of  Moses,  from  the  day  that  the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  and  hencefor- 

24  ward  among  your  generations ;  ^Then  it  shall  be,  if  aught  be  committed  by  igiio- 
rance  ^vithout  the  knowledge  of  the  congregation,  that  all  the  congregation  shall 
offer  one  young  bullock  for  a  burnt  offering,  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord, 
with  his  "meat  offering,  and  his  drink  offering,  according  to  the  'manner,  and  one 

25  ''kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering.  And  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for 
all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  it  shall  be  forgiven  them ;  for  it 
'w  ignorance :  and  they  shall  bring  their  offering,  'a  sacrifice  made  by  fire  unto  the 

26  Lord,  and  their  sin  offering  before  the  Lord,  for  their  "ignorance :  And  it  shall 
be  forgiven  all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  the  stranger  that  so- 
journeth among  them  ;  "seeing  all  the  people  were  in  ignorance. 


CHAP.  XV.  1-31. 


83 


27  And  if  any  soul  sin  through  ignorance,  then  he  shall  bring  a  she  goat  of  the  first 

28  year  for  a  sin  offering.  And  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  the  soul  that 
"sinneth  ignorantly,  when  he  sinneth  ^by  ignorance  before  the  Lord,  to  make  an 

29  atonement  for  him  ;  and  it  shall  be  forgiven  him.  Ye  shall  have  one  law  for  him 
that  *siuneth  ^through  ignorance,  both  for  him  that  is  «born  among  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  for  the  stranger  that  sojourneth  among  them. 

30  But  the  soul  that  doeth  aught  ^presumptuously,  whether  he  he  ^born  in  the  land, 
or  a  stranger,  the  same  'reproacheth  the  Lord  ;  and  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from 

31  among  his  people.  Because  he  hath  despised  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  hath 
broken  his  commandment,  that  soul  shall  utterly  be  cut  off;  his  iniquity  shall  he 
upon  him. 


1  Heb.  separating. 
♦  Heb.  duth. 

a  a  fire  sacrifice. 
«  the. 

E  home-horn. 

'  shall  err  atui  not  observe. 
■»  error. 
p  through  error. 


*  Heb.  from  the  eyes. 

*  Heb.  with  an  high  hand. 


3  Or  ordinances. 


*  oblation.  '  meal-offering. 

«  for  the.  '  each. 

•>  As  regards  the  assembly,  let  there  be  one  statute  for  you  and  for  the  stranger. 
i  And.  ^  he-goat.  '  was  an  error, 

o  for  it  happened  to  all  the  people  through  error.  '  erreth. 

<J  blasphemes. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


[Ver.  15.  Snpn  is  the  nominative  absolute.  "As  for  the  assembly."  Comp.  rT^TXH,  ver.  29.  "The  LXX. 
and  Sam.  connect  SnpH  with  what  precedes :  '  aa  ye  do  so  shall  the  assembly  do,'  on  which  Rosenmtjelleb 
properly  remarks  that  it  presents  a  hardly  intelligible  sense."  Mauber— Tr.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  Keil  remarks  with  justice  in  loc.  that  this 
modification  of  the  former  laws  of  offerings  was 
designed,  in  these  sad  and  dreary  times,  to  in- 
spire hope  in  the  new  generation  which  was 
growing  up,  and  to  turn  their  attention  to  the 
promised  land.  At  the  same  time  this  modifica- 
tion of  the  law  is  plainly  a  postponement  of  the 
developed  sacrificial  service  to  the  time  of  the 
settlement  in  Canaan.  The  people  could  not 
indeed  come  by  the  materials  for  meat  and 
drink-ofFerings  before  they  came  into  the  land 
of  Canaan ;  the  heave-offering  of  the  first  of  the 
bread  pre-supposes  a  harvest  in  Canaan.  In 
part  the  bloody  offerings  themselves  were  con- 
ditioned by  such  bloodless  adjuncts.  Knobel, 
after  his  manner,  draws  the  conclusion,  that  the 
passage  infers,  that  the  entrance  into  Canaan 
is  now  near  at  hand  ! 

2.  First  Ordinance.  Meat  and  Drink-offerings, 
vers.  3-16.  The  reference  here  can  only  be  to 
the  two  classes  of  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices 
or  peace-offerings,  and  not  to  sin-offerings  and 
trespass-offerings,  since  these  were  not  amended. 
In  contrast  with  these,  as  blood-sacrifices,  our 
two  vai-ieties  are  called  fire-offerings.  The  sac- 
rifices separate  into  their  three  sub-divisions: 
the  votive  offering  or  offering  in  time  of  need; 
the  free-will  offering  or  offering  in  time  of  pros- 
perity ;  and  the  festal  or  praise  and  thank- 
offering.  The  quantity  of  the  meal  and  drink- 
offering  (see  o,n  Exod.,  p.  124  sq.)  is  increased 
according  to  the  value  of  the  victim,  a  lamb  or 
kid,  a  ram,  or  a  young  bullock;  likewise  ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  the  victims.  The 
same  law  applies  to  strangers  uniting  in  the 
offerings,  both  as  regards  the  offerings  and  the 


assembling  with  the  congregation,  presupposing 
that  they  are  theocratic  strangers.  They  must 
join  in  the  celebration  of  Pentecost,  as  well  as 
of  Easter.  The  more  general  regulations  on 
the  meal-offering  are  given  in  Leviticus. 

3.  Second  Ordinance.  The  Offering  of  the 
Dough  and  Groats  of  the  New  Bread  (vers.  18- 
21).  A  cake  of  coarse  meal  is  to  be  brought 
{v.  Ezek.  xliv.  30;  Neh.  x.  38).  Thus  too  is  the 
harvest-offering  a  three-fold  one:  (1)  the  first 
sheaf  (Levit.  xxiii.  11);  (2)  (he  first  dough, 
made  into  a  cake,  according  to  the  present  pas- 
sage;  (3)  the  first  bread  (Levit.  xxiii.).  No 
form  of  harvest  blessing  shall  be  enjoyed  until 
a  thank-offering  has  been  made  from  it. 

4.  Third  Ordinance.  Of  the  Sin-Offering 
(vers.  22-29).  This  supplements  Levit.  iv.  13- 
21.  In  that  place,  however,  it  is  sins  of  com- 
mission which  are  considered;  here  it  is  sins  of 
omission.  The  section  distinguishes  the  sins 
of  omission  on  the  part  of  the  whole  congrega- 
tion and  those  of  single  individuals.  Under  the 
first,  cannot  be  intended  apostacies  of  the  whole 
congregation — that  needed  to  be  expiated  in 
an  entirely  different  manner ;  but  the  gradually 
developing  distempers  of  unconscious  prostra- 
tion, or  also  inflammation,  the  unconscious  fall- 
ino-  away  from  the  standard  of  the  Law.  The 
fault  is  denoted  as  pardonable  by  the  very  cir- 
cumstance, that,  after  the  beginning  of  better 
knowledge,  a  burnt  and  meal-offering  were  to 
be  first  presented,  and  not  till  then  a  sin-offer- 
ing, and  that  the  burnt-offering  should  consist 
of  a  bullock,  while  the  sin-offering  was  to  be 
only  a  he-goat.  According  to  Knobel  and  Keil, 
indeed,  the  sin-offering  was  in  this  case  also  to 
precede.  The  burnt-offering,  says  Keil,  is  as 
usual  mentioned  before  the  chief  offering.  But 
this  is  by  no  means  the  case :  in  Lev.  xv.  15,  30, 


84 


NUMBERS. 


the  sin-offering  is  mentioned  first,  and  then  the 
burnt-offering ;  in  Lev.  xii.  6,  on  the  contrary, 
the  burnt-offering  is  spoken  of  first,  and  after- 
wards the  sin-offering;  in  Lev.  xvi.  25,  also  the 
burnt-offering  is  kindled  before  the  sin-offering. 
Two  classes  seem  to  be  distinguished  here. 
Between  the  uncleanness  of  a  pregnant  woman 
and  that  of  the  leper,  there  was  also  a  difference. 
It  is  really  at  first  immediately  the  burnt-offer- 
ing which  is  purified,  which  the  people  in  their 
ignorance  have  brought,  and  thereby  mediately 
the  people  also.  It  was  as  if  e.  g.  a  Christian 
Church,  after  thus  coming  to  a  better  mind,  were 
to  appoint  a  fast  day  over  and  above  their  previous 
sermons.  We  cannot  in  any  case  accept  the 
notion  of  Keil,  that  the  sin-offerings  must  in  all 
cases  precede  because  a  separation  had  occurred 
between  the  congregation  and  the  Lord.  What 
then  does  the  Catechism  of  the  New  Testament 
teach  of  pardonable  sins  embraced  in  the  univer- 
sal pardon?  With  this  we  commend  the  above 
distinction  to  further  investigation.  The  stranger 
also  is  included  in  the  forgiveness  which  was  to 
be  attained,  whether  he  have  had  a  particular 
part  in  the  error  or  not.  Concerning  the  rela- 
tion of  these  offences  to  the  outward  ritual  as 
explained  by  Maimonides,  or  their  explanation 
by  the  conduct  of  the  people  under  bad  kings, 


that  OuTRAM  suggests,  see  Keil,  in  loc,  foot- 
note.  Within  the  limits  of  the  aberrations  under 
consideration,  however,  unconscious  deviations 
must  be  distinguished  from  conscious  defection. 
From  a  single  soul  only  a  she-goat  is  required 
for  a  sin-offering  ;  for  the  Law  does  not  impose 
any  involuntari?  burnt-offerings  upon  individu- 
als, except  in  the  case  of  reception  back  into 
the  congregation. 

5.  Fourth  Ordinance.  The  Conscious  Sin  of 
Obstinacy  toward  Jehovah,  or,  the  Sin  ■with 
Uplifted  Hand  (vers.  30,  31).     The  antithesis 

to  the  foregoing  section.     Only  sins  from  error 

CnjJi!/3)    can  be  expiated  by  sin-offerings  [vid. 

Levit!  iv.  2) ;  but  not   the   sin    /riD"!  T3)  with 

'   '  ^         T  T         T:  ' 

uplifted  hand.     Says  Keil:  "With  a  high  hand, 

so  that  he  therewith,  as  it  were,  lifts  up  his 
hand  against  Jehovah,  acts  in  open  rebellion 
against  Him."  The  consciously  wicked  man,  as 
it  were,  shakes  his  fist  at  Heaven,  the  throne  of 
God.  Their  iniquity  be  upon  tbem!  That 
is,  they  are  curse-offerings  devoted  to  death  (see 
Gen.  xvii.  14).  The  succeeding  story  imme- 
diately serves  for  illustration;  and  on  that  ac- 
count probably  it  is  placed  in  connection  with 
this  ordinance. 


The  Sabbath-breaker. 


SECOND    SECTION. 

Re-enforcement  of  the   Law  of  the   Sabbath,  and   of  the 
Law^  in  General. 


Chapter  XV.   32-41. 

32  And  while  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  the  wilderness,  they  found  a  man  that 

33  gathered  sticks  upon  the  sabbath  day.     And  they  that  found  him  gathering  sticks 

34  brought  him  unto  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  unto  all  the  congregation.     And  they 

35  put  him  in  ward,  because  it  was  not  ^declared  Avhat  should  be  done  to  him.  And 
the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  The  man  shall  be  surely  put  to  death :  all  the  congre- 

36  gation  shall  stone  him  with  stones  without  the  camp.  And  all  the  congregation 
brought  him  without  the  camp,  and  stoned  him  with  stones,  and  he  died ;  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 

37,  38  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  bid  them  that  they  make  them  'fringes  in  the  "borders  of  their  garments, 
throughout  their  generations,  and  that  they  put  upon  the  "fringe  of  the  "borders  a 

39  "ribband  of  blue:  And  it  shall  be  unto  you  for  a  "fringe,  that  ye  may  look  upon 
it,  and  remember  all  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  and  do  them  ;  and  that  ye 
seek  not  after  your  own  heart  and  your  own  eyes,  after  which  ye  use  to  go  a 

40  whoring :  That  ye  may  remember,  and  do  all  my  commandments,   and  be  holy 

41  unto  your  God.  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,  which  brought  you  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  to  be  your  God :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 


> (Ldthbr 
*  cord. 


expressed;  De  Wkttb,  Zuni  :  decided;  Bunsbn:  no  declaration.) 


>>  tasieU. 


tip*. 


CHAP.  XV.  32-41. 


86 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL, 

This  section  expressly  says  that  the  children 
of  Israel  were  in  the  wilderness  at  the  time  the 
event  happened,  i.  e.  that  it  belongs  to  the  so- 
journ of  thirty-eight  years  in  Kadesh.  But  the 
story  also  proves  how  strictly  they  insisted  on 
the  law  of  the  Sabbath.  The  dispersion  of  the 
tents  in  the  desert  could  in  many  ways  make 
the  violation  of  the  laws  of  the  Sabbath  an  easy 
matter.  Notwithstanding,  the  man  was  detected 
that  gathered  wood  (for  fagots),  and  was  put  in 
confinement.  The  story  of  the  Sabbath-breaker 
is  a  companion-piece  to  that  of  the  blasphemer 
(Lev.  xxiv.).  It  serves  as  a  corroboration  of 
a  chief  requirement  of  the  law,  just  as  that  does. 
But  in  this  case  they  were  not  yet  clear  about 
the  degree  of  the  punishment.  When  he  was 
brought  before  Moses,  Aaron  and  the  congrega- 
tion, that  is,  the  authorities,  the  college  of  elders 
appointed  as  judges,  there  was  as  yet  no  defini- 
tion how  he  should  suffer  capital  punishment. 
Their  not  proceeding  at  once  to  extremities,  to 
the  solemn  act  of  stoning,  seems  to  rest  on  the 
consideration  that  this  transgression  against  the 
Sabbath  might  perhaps  be  a  lesser  guilt  than 
blasphemy.  It  characterizes  the  prudence  with 
which  Moses  and  the  college  of  judges  proceed. 
They  put    him  in  confinement   (perhaps   for   a 

considerable  time,    TTil^l).     It  was  not   yet 

expressly    determined.      Ly"23    is    a    word 

which,  as  in  Lev.  xxiv.  12,  has  a  sacred  sen^e, 
quite  in  contrast  with  that  by  which  the  Phari- 
sees, at  a  later  period,  called  themselves.  Moses 
had  to  seek  for  the  decision  of  Jehovah,  That 
decision  in  this  case,  also,  called  for  stoning 
outside  of  the  camp,  in  which  the  congregation 
was  to  participate,  because  here,  too,  the  whole 
congregation  was  involved  in  the  guilt. 

[It  is  a  generally  accepted  view  that  the  inci- 
dent of  the  Sabbath-breaker  is  introduced  here 
as  an  illustration  of  presumptuous  sin,  as  Dr. 
Lange  intimates  above,  §  5.  The  same  connec- 
tion also  offers  a  natural  explanation  of  the 
judicial  proceeding  in  the  case.  It  ■was  not 
determined  vyhat  one  should  do  to  him, 
is  indefinite,  and  may  either  refer  to  the  judges, 
or  to  the  revelation  of  God  in  regard  to  such 
cases.  The  latter  is  the  common  view.  (See  in 
the  London  Polyglot  all  interpretations  except 
the  LXX.  and  Vulg.  Yet  they  may  not  have 
independent  value;  but  all,  in  this  case,  may 
perhaps  only  follow  the  lead  of  the  Aramaic 
Paraphrase.)  But  the  former  seems  quite  as 
natural.       The    phrase   1J1    "lDty»33    inj?     m'il'1 

seems  to  say:  "They  let  him  rest  in  custody, 
for  one  did  not  determine  what  one  should  do  to 
him."  LXX. :  ov  yap  aweKpwav  rl  Trou/aumv 
avTov.  Vulg.  ;  nescientes  quid  super  eo  facere 
deberent.     The  LXX.  and  Vulg.,  in  the  parallel 

passage,  refer  IJ/IS?  to  the  same  subject,  viz. 
the  judges.  The  context  suggests  the  ground 
of  their  indecision.  The  ordinances  just  given, 
including  expiations  for  sins,  vers.  1-29,  were 
made  for  the  time  "wben  ye  be  come  into  the 
land  which  I  give  unto  you,"  vers.  2,  18.  Re- 
garding presumptuous  sins,  therefore   (vers,  30, 


31),  it  might  be  supposed  that  the  penalty  was 
only  to  be  visited  under  the  same  conditions, 
viz.  when  they  were  settled  in  Canaan.  It  was 
likely  this  that  divided  the  judges.  The  ques- 
tion was  whether  U7ider  present  circumstances  such 
a  sinner  was  to  be  capitally  punished.  It  had 
already  been  declared  that  death  was  to  be  the 
penalty  (Exod.  xxxi.  14,  15;   xxxv.  2). 

Dr.  Lange's  notion  that  the  doubt  was  whe- 
ther  Sabbath-breaking  might  not  be  less  crimi- 
nal than  blasphemy  is  quite  untenable.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  view  that  he  shares 
with  others,  viz.  that  the  judges  were  in  doubt 
about  the  form  of  the  death-penalty.  Stoning 
was  the  common  way  of  inflicting  death  (Exod. 
2vii.  4;  Num.  xiv.  10),  and  had  already  received 
divine  sanction  as  the  proper  mode  of  doing  it 
in  the  case  of  both  man  and  beast  (Exod.  xix, 
13;  xxi.  28).  The  point  of  the  divine  answer 
to  Moses  was,  that  the  crime  was  then  and  there 
to  be  punished  by  death,  as  appears  from  the 
emphatic  words  that  sum  up  the  transaction: 
and  he  died,  as  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses  (ver.  36). 

This  episode  begins  with  the  words:  And 
while  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  the 
wilderness.  This  "is  properly  introduced 
here  to  contrast  the  ordinance  of  the  Sabbath 
given  some  time  ago  (Exod.  xxxi.  14)  with  the 
series  of  ordinances  first  given  in  this  chapter. 
The  latter  were  not  obligatory  until  after  the 
settlement  in  Canaan;  the  former  was  obliga- 
tory already.  Transgression  of  it  was  therefore 
a  presumptuous  sin,  and  was  punished  accord- 
ingly." The  Bible  Comm.  This  fact  has  i(3 
importance  in  determining  the  place  of  the  law 
of  the  Sabbath  among  the  Old  Testament  ordi- 
nances. It  was  unconditioned,  as  was  also  the 
law  against  blasphemy.  It  was  in  force  and 
enforced  when  ceremonial  laws  were  not.  It 
was  before  symbolical  ordinances,  and  it  conti- 
nues after  them.  Its  observance  or  violalioa 
involved  all  that  was  vital  in  religion,  for  it 
involved  the  very  questioQ  of  loyalty  to  God,  as 
did  the  law  about  blasphemy.  And  it  involves 
the  same  now. — Tr.] 

This  occurrence  has,  as  its  consequence,  an 
enforcement  of  the  law  in  an  increased  degree, 
and  in  a  symbolical  form.  But  as,  at  a  later 
period,  the  Pharisees  with  their  t^^i]  misapplied 
the  law  concerning  blasphemy  and  the  violation 
of  the  Sabbath  to  the  condemnation  of  Christ, 
so,  too,  the  following  ordinance  was  made  to 
serve  Pharisaic  hypocrisy  (Matt,  xxiii.  5). 

Vers.  37-41,  Henceforth  the  Israelites  were 
to  wear  memorials  of  the  law  on  their  garments. 
The  ordinance  is  supplemented  in  Deut.  xxii.  12. 

The  zizith  (from  V^,  "ornament,  bloom,  curl," 
to  consist,  according  to  Deut.,  of  twisted  cords, 
as  D'T"1J),  as  a  tassel,  is,  so  to  speak,  the  blos- 
som of  the  garments.  According  to  Deut.,  it  is 
fastened  at  the  side  of  the  upper  garment,  and 
that  with  a  cord  of  blue  purple.  The  meaning 
of  it  might  be,  that  by  the  band  of  fidelity  the 
law  should  remain  for  the  Israelite  a  flower  of 
life,  an  ornament.  Thus,  then,  it  was  no  longer 
the  priestly  garments  only  that  had  a  symbolical 
meaning,  but  also  the  clothing  of  every  Israel- 


86 


NUMBERS. 


ite — a  contrast  with  the  wearing  finery  of  the 
fashions,  that  is  made  by  tailors  and  women  of 
the  poetry  of  vanity.  Still  this  symbol  also  was 
perverted  by  the  later  spirit  of  legalism  into  a 
means  of  self-righteousness.  Probably  at  quite 
an  early  period  this  ornament  was  supplemented 
by  a  particular  border  or  seam  on  the  upper 
garment  (LXX.  Kpda-sdov).  See  on  Matt,  xxiii. 
5.  The  downward  look,  directed  toward  these 
sit^ns  of  the  law,  was  to  counteract  the  danger 
of^distracted  wandering  of  the  senses  and  of  the 
lust  of  the  eyes.  Very  significant  is  the  expres- 
sion :  a  whoring  after  the  eyes,  and  spy- 
ing about  according  to  the  heart,  the  lusts 
of  the  heart,  lu  conclusion,  the  final  object  of 
this  ordinance  is  strongly  emphasized.  They 
are  not,  by  their  hearts'  lusts  and  the  vagaries 
of  their  eyes,  to  be  ensnared  in  idolatrous  lust 


of  the  world.  And  they  are  not  thereby 
to  forget  that  Jehovah  is  the  Redeemer  and  Lord ; 
as  the  highest  Personality,  He  is  the  Protector 
of  their  personality  which  is  elevated  above  the 
world.  The  conclusion  may  be  taken  to  mean : 
I  am  your  Divinity  ;  ye  shall,  therefore,  make 
no  divinities  for  yourselves  of  the  things  of  the 
world. 


HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

The  repetition  of  the  law  of  sacrifice  in  the 
wilderness,  a  kingdom  of  grace,  a  sign  of  pro- 
mise, a  sign  of  continued  training.  The  differ- 
ence between  sins  of  infirmity  and  of  outrage 
with  uplifted  hand  (of  wickedness).  The  Sab- 
bath-breaker. The  outward  mementoes  of  the 
law:  their  use  ;  their  danger  (see  Matt,  xxiii.). 


THIRD    SECTION, 

A.— THE   REBELLION  OF  KORAH,   DATHAN  AND  ABIRAM   (THEIR  ANTICIPATION   OF 
THE  UNIVERSAL  PRIESTHOOD  AND  THEIR  JUDGMENT). 

Chapter  XVI.  1-35. 

1  Now  Korah,  the  son  of  Izhar,  the  son  of  Kohath,  the  son  of  Levi,  and  Da- 
than  and  Abiram,  the  sons  of  Eliab,  and  On,  the  son  of  Peleth,  sons  of  Reuben, 

2  *took  men:  And  they  rose  up  before  Moses,  with  certain  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  princes  of  the  ''assembly,  "^famous  in  the  congregation,  men 

3  of  renown:  And  they  gathered  themselves  together  against  Moses  and  against 
Aaron,  and  said  unto  them,  ^  Ye  take  too  much  upon  you,  seeing  all  the  congrega- 
tion are  holy,  every  one  of  them,  and  the  Lord  is  among  them  :  wherefore  then 

4  lift  ye  up  yourselves  above  the  congregation  of  the  Lord  ?     And  when  Moses  heard 

5  it,  he  fell  upon  his  face :  And  he  spake  unto  Korah  and  unto  all  his  company, 
saying,  Even  to  morrow  the  Lord  will  shew  who  are  his,  and  who  is  holy ;  and 
will  cause  him  to  come  near  unto  him  :  even  /iim  Avhom  he  hath  chosen  will  he  cause 

6  to  come  near  unto  him.     This  do ;  Take  you  censers,  Korah,  and  all  his  company  ; 

7  And  put  fire  therein,  and  put  incense  in  them  before  the  Lord  to  morrow :  and  it 
shall  be  that  the  man  whom  the  Lord  doth  choose,  he  shall  be  holy :  ^ye  take  too 

8  much  upon  you,  ye  sons  of  Levi.     And  Moses  said  unto  Korah,  Hear,  I  pray  you, 

9  ye  sons  of  Levi :  ^Seenieth  it  but  a  small  thing  unto  you,  that  the  God  of  Israel  hath 
separated  you  from  the  congregation  of  Israel,  to  bring  you  near  to  himself  to  do 
the  service  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord,  and  to  stand  before  the  congregation  to 

10  minister  unto  them  ?     And  he  hath  brought  thee  near  to  him,  and  all  thy  brethren 

11  the  sons  of  Levi  with  thee :  and  seek  ye  the  priesthood  also  ?  For  which  cause  both 
thou  and  all  thy  company  are  gathered  together  against  the  Lord  :  and  what  is 
Aaron,  that  ye  murmur  against  him  ? 

12  And  Moses  sent  to  call  Dathan  and  Abiram,  the  sons  of  Eliab ;  *which  said.  We 

13  will  not  come  up  :  ^Is  it  a  small  thing  that  thou  hast  brought  us  up  out  of  a  land 
that  floweth  with  milk  and  honey,  to  kill  us  in  the  wilderness,  except  thou  make 

14  thyself  altogether  a  prince  over  us?  Moreover,  thou  hast  not  brought  us  into  a 
land  that  floweth  with  milk  and  honey,  or  given  us  inheritance  of  fields  and  vine- 

15  yards ;  wilt  thf)U  ''put  out  the  eyes  of  these  men  ?  we  will  not  come  up.  And  Moses 
was  very  wrothj  and  said  unto  the  Lord,  Respect  not  thou  their  'offering :  I  have 


CHAP.  XVI.  1-35. 


8V 


16  not  taken  one  ass  from  them,  neither  have  I  hurt  one  of  them.  And  Moses  said 
unto  Korah,  Be  thou  and  all  thy  company  before  the  Lord,  thou,  and  they,  and 

17  Aaron  to  morrow :  And  take  every  man  his  censer,  and  put  incense  in  them,  and 
bring  ye  before  the  Lord  every  man  his  censer,  two  hundred  and  fifty  censers ; 

18  thou  also,  and  Aaron,  each  of  you  his  censer.  And  they  took  every  man  his  cen- 
ser, and  put  fire  in  them,  and  laid  incense  thereon,  and  stood  ^in  the  door  of  the 

19  ''tabernacle  of  the  congregation  'with  Moses  and  Aaron.  And  Korah  gathered  all 
the  congregation  against  them  unto  the  door  of  the  ''tabernacle  of  the  congregation  : 

20  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  all  the  congregation.     And  the  Lord 

21  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,   saying,  Separate  yourselves  from  among  this 

22  congregation,  that  I  may  consume  them  in  a  moment.  And  they  fell  upon  their 
faces,  and  said,  O  God,  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,  shall  one  man  sin,  and 
wilt  thou  be  wroth  with  all  the  congregation  ? 


23,  24  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Speak  unto  the  congregation,  saying, 
25  Get  you  up  from  about  the  tabernacle  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram.  And  Moses 
rose  up  and  went  unto  Dathan  and  Abiram  ;  and  the  elders  of  Israel  followed  him. 
And  he  spake  unto  the  congregation,  saying,  Depart.  I  pray  you,  from  the  tents 
of  these  wicked  men,  and  touch  nothing  of  theirs,  lest  ye  be  "consumed  in  ail  their 
sins.  So  they  gat  up  from  the  tabernacle  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram,  on  every 
side :  and  Dathan  and  Abiram  came  out,  and  stood  in  the  door  of  their  tents,  and 
28  their  wives,  and  their  sons,  and  their  little  children.  And  Moses  said.  Hereby  ye  shall 
know  that  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  do  all  these  works ;  'for  I  have  not  done  them 
of  mine  own  mind.  If  these  men  die  'the  common  death  of  all  men,  or  if  tliey  be 
visited  after  the  visitation  of  all  men  ;  then  the  Lord  hath  not  sent  me.  But  if  the 
Lord  *make  a  new  thing,  and  the  earth  open  her  mouth,  and  swallow  them  up, 
with  all  that  appertain  unto  them,  and  they  go  down  quick  into  ""the  pit ;  then  ye 
shall  understand  that  these  men  have  "provoked  the  Lord. 


26 


27 


29 
30 


31  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  had  made  an  end  of  speaking  all  these  words,  that  the 

32  ground  clave  asunder  that  was  under  them:  And  the  earth  opened  her  mouth,  and 
swallowed  them  up,  and  their  houses,  and  all  the  men  that  apipertained  unto  Korah, 

33  and  all  their  goods.     They,  and  all  that  appertained  to  them,  went  down  alive  into 
""the  pit,  and  the  earth  closed  upon  them  :  and  they  perished  from  among  the  °con- 

34  gregation.     And  all  Israel  that  were  round  about  them  fled  at  the  cry  of  them  :  for 

35  they  said.  Lest  the  earth  swallow  us  up  also.     And  there  came  out  a  fire  from  the 
Lord,  and  consumed  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  that  oflered  incense. 


1  Heb.  It  is  much  for  you. 

*  Heb.  create  a  creation. 

»  conspired  [f  ] 

*  Is  it  too  small  a  thing  f 
s  at. 

^  swept  away. 
"  blasphevied. 


2  Heb.  bore  out. 


1>  congregation. 

'  And  they  said. 
h  Tait  of  Meeting. 

1  that  it  IS  not  of. 
•  assembly. 


3  Heb.  as  every  man  dieth. 


e  called  of  the  assembly. 
f  mral-offering. 
>  and 
"  underworld  [the  Sheol.] 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 
Ver.  2.  We  read  with  Knobel  :|{:?p'1_  instead  of  np"'T.  which  is  inexplicable,  for  which  comp.  1  Kings  vii.  25; 
xvi.  9;  2  Kings  xv.  10,  25;  Amos  vii.  io.    Ewalb  proposes  Srip'T^;  but,  as  Knobel  well  remarks,  that  does  not 
well  suit  for  only  four  men.    LXX.:  koI  eAaA))o-e.     Vulg.  :  ecc« .' 

We  do  not  adopt  the  conjecture  of  our  translator,  [viz.,  that  given  above  by  Pastor  Fat,  who  in  the  German 
oricinal  translates  the  text  of  Leviticus  and  Numbers.— Tr.1.  The  difficulty  is  more  easily  solved  if  we  omit  the 
1  before  Dathan,  or  take  the  three  Vavs  in  connection  :  he  took  along  with  him  both  Dathan  and  Abiram  and  also 
On.  Thus  Korah  is  designated  as  the  real  author,  as  also  in  ver.  22  he  is  given  this  prominence.  Another  expla- 
nation, which  is  also  more  acceptable  than  the  above  conjecture,  is  the  assumption  of  Gesenitts  [Thes.,  p.  760]  that 
the  singular  is  to  be  read  as  plural  :  Korah,  Dathan,  etc.,  took  'i'iO  men  to  them. 

Ver.  11.  We  cannot  adopt  Keil's  construction:  "Therefore  thou  and  thy  faction  that  have  joined  against 
Jehovah and  Aaron,  what  is  he,  that  ye  murmur  against  him  ?"    An  Aposiopesis  that  is  quite  superfluous. 


B8 


NUMBERS. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

One  might  call  this  history  a  prototype  of  con- 
spiracy aud  insurrection.  Various  party  inter- 
ests, essentially  and  wholly  diverse  and  mutually 
conflicting,  combine  in  the  element  of  antipathy 
against  the  princely  authority  of  Moses,  and  the 
priestly  authority  of  Aaron  (one  might  say  against 
the  authority  of  the  State  and  of  the  Church). 
But  there  rests  an  obscurity  of  confusion  over 
this  sympathetic  conspiracy  against  the  authority 
appointed  by  Jehovah,  as  there  could  not  but  be 
in  interests  so  diverse.  Korah  with  his  following 
(not  his  sons)  is  a  Levite.  Therefore  he  had 
himself  also  a  privileged  position.  But  the  pre- 
cedence of  the  Aaronic  priesthood  is  to  him  a 
thorn  in  the  eye.  Therefore  in  reality  it  is  not 
universal  right  that  he  would  insist  on,  but  a 
share  in  the  clerical  prerogatives  of  Aaron.  Da- 
than,  Abiram  and  On,  the  descendants  of  Reuben, 
no  doubt  have  in  mind  the  fact  that  their  ances- 
tor was  the  first-born,  but  not  the  transference 
of  the  rights  of  the  first-born  to  Judah  by  the 
Patriarch.  It  must  be  mentioned  to  their  praise 
that  the  tribe  of  Judah  makes  no  special  claims, 
but  is  only  drawn  into  sympathy  in  a  general 
way.  But  the  real  princes  of  the  conspiracy 
conceal  their  particular  pretensions  under  the 
demagogical  watch-word:  the  entire  congrega- 
tion is  holy,  and  under  the  radical  definition  of 
the  entire  congregation  :  they  all  are  holy  (evi- 
dently the  idea  of  the  plebiscite).  This  watch- 
word is  supported  by  the  reproach  :  why  do  ye 
exalt  yourselves  over  the  congregation  of  Jeho- 
vah ?  In  this  reproach  the  conspiracy  seems  to 
convert  an  element  of  truth  into  a  lie.  There 
was,  it  is  true,  a  theocratic  authority  over  the 
congregation,  that  was  not  mediated  by  a  legal 
representation  of  the  congregation,  yet  elements 
of  mediation  were  still  there,  the  elders,  the 
princes  of  the  tribes,  the  prophetic  voices,  enough, 
a  potential  mediation  by  signs  of  the  Spirit  was 
indeed  in  existence;  but  of  course  no  organized 
one.  And  such  an  one,  too,  could  only  distantly 
hover  before  the  minds  of  the  people  ;  what  the 
crowd  desired  was  the  dissolution  of  all  author- 
ity, anarchy.  Still  the  glitter  of  the  idol  of 
freedom  and  equality  was  even  here  so  influen- 
tial, that  the  whole  nation  was  electrified  by  it, 
and  they  did  not  notice  how  they  were  made  the 
sport  of  clerical  and  legitimist  party  interests. 
Hence  even  after  the  first  judgment,  there  re- 
mained still  a  mutinous  disposition  that  evoked 
a  second  judgment.  Perhaps,  too,  this  muti- 
nous disposition  sprang  in  part  from  the  recol- 
lection of  the  stern  judgment  of  stoning  inflicted 
on  the  blasphemer  and  on  the  Sabbath-breaker: 
for  here  again  it  is  nourished  by  the  embittered 
feeling  at  the  death  penalty  inflicted  on  the  con- 
spirators, although  that  appeared  as  a  divine  de- 
cree. The  excitement,  the  stormy  commotion, 
and  the  confusion  of  (he  event  are  reflected  in 
the  intricacy  of  the  representation,  and  this  has 
occasioned  no  little  exegetical  confusion  which 
we  must  try  to  avoid.  [See  Text,  and  Gram., 
ver.  2]. 

Eviilently  there  was  first  a  conspiracy  that 
brooded  in  secret.  The  original  agitators,  Ko- 
rah, Datban  and  Abiram,  succeeded  in  drawing 


to  their  party  representatives  from  the  whole 
congregation,  princes  of  the  particular  tribes. 
Thus  they  arose  against  Moses  and  Aaron.  Their 
cry  to  these  two  leaders  :  enough  for  you,  may 
not  be  translated  by  the  cool  language:  let  what 
has  been  hitherto  sufiice  you.  It  is  a  quo  usque 
of  indignation.  To  it  is  attached  pretension  in 
quite  a  radical  form.  When  Moses  falls  on  his 
face  it  is  because  he  is  in  the  greatest  extremity 
and  needs  a  divine  decision,  and  looks  for  it. 
And  on  this  decision  reposes  his  exceeding  bold 
and  surprising  answer.  Not  he  will  decide,  but 
Jehovah.  Let  them  all  present  themselve:?  be- 
fore Jehovah,  the  next  morning  even,  as  would-be 
priests,  with  censers,  in  order  to  stand  before 
Jehovah  along  with  Aaron  in  opposition  and  in 
rivalry,  then  Jehovah  Himself  will  decide.  Ac- 
cording to  the  law,  even  the  sons  of  the  priests 
were  forbidden  to  ofl'er  strange  fire  to  Jehovah, 
much  more  were  mere  Levites  and  non-Levites 
forbidden  to  sacrifice,  let  alone  to  perform  the 
holiest  act  of  oflering  which  was  done  in  the  very 
Sanctuary  of  the  Tabernacle.  Hence  Moses  could 
not  have  instituted  such  measures  as  he  did  here, 
had  he  not  regarded  the  law  as  completely  broken, 
and  suspended.  His  expedient  reminds  us  of  the 
words  of  Jesus  to  Judas :  "  that  thou  doest  do 
quickly."  With  the  congregation  seduced  as  it 
was,  Moses  could  not  act  with  its  support;  the 
law  could  only  be  restored  again  by  a  mighty 
judgment  of  God.  Still  the  rebels  were  not  to 
be  left  in  doubt  about  the  great  irony  that  lay 
in  the  admission  of  this  candidating,  hence  the 
addition,  in  which  he  repeats  the  word  of  the 
Levites  as  a  rebuking  echo  :  it  is  enough  ■with 
you,  upon  which  follows  a  reproof.  Hear,  ye 
sons  of  Levi,  etc.,  ver.  8.  Now  he  brings  home 
to  the  Levites  that  they  themselves  had  received 
from  Jehovah — not  from  him — a  prerogative 
above  that  of  the  other  tribes  of  Israel,  by  which 
he  lays  bare  the  contradiction  in  their  revolu- 
tionary watch-word.  He  charges  them  with  un- 
truthfulness ;  it  was  not  the  universal  priesthood 
that  they  wanted,  but  they  were  emulous  of  the 
high-priesthood  of  Aaron  (vers.  9,  10).  Ye  rebel, 
he  says,  against  Jehovah  Himself,  not,  as  ye  sup- 
pose, against  Aaron,  for  he  as  a  man  eignifie* 
nothing  in  this  business,  that  ye  should  murmur 
against  him  (ver.  11).  In  other  words:  your 
would-be  murmuring  against  Aaron  is  a  rebel- 
lion against  Jehovah. 

And  Moses  said  to  call  Dathan,  etc.,  ver. 
12  sqq.  This  begins  the  account  of  Moses'  deal- 
ing with  the  Reubenites.  With  great  penetra- 
tion he  sees  through  the  coalition,  and  deals  with 
each  faction  singly,  as  befitted  it.  The  Korah 
faction  aimed  specially  at  Aaron,  and  he  con- 
tended with  it  accordingly,  and,  as  appears,  with 
such  success  that  the  sons  of  Korah  held  aloof 
from  the  sedition  of  their  father  (xxvi,  11).  But 
the  Reuben  faction  was  primarily  directed  against 
the  princely  position  of  Moses  himself.  He  ac- 
cordingly summons  Dathan  and  Abiram  to  ap- 
pear before  him,  (he  does  not,  as  Batjmoarten 
supposes,  call  on  them  to  make  sacrifice) ;  the 
third,  On,  appears  already  or  later  to  have  drawn 
back.  Also  Zelophehad,  an  influential  man  of 
the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  had  renounced  the  gen- 
eral craze.  But  the  Reubenite  faction  answered 
roughly  and  refused  obedience   to   Moses   with 


CHAP.  XVI.  1-35. 


89 


malignant  irony.  We  ■will  not  come  up,  they 
said,  with  reference  to  the  tabernacle  that  is  re- 
garded as  an  exalted  tent.  He  has  brought  them 
out  of  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  but 
not  brought  them  into  such  a  land  ;  he  has  sorely 
deceived  them,  and  seems  as  if  he  would  bore  out 
the  people's  eyes,  i.  e.,  as  if  he  would  degrade 
them  to  absolute,  blind  obedience  against  all  pri- 
vate judgment.  This  reproach,  that  he  desired 
to  rule  over  them  as  an  absolute  despot  of  the 
conscience,  provoked  the  extremest  indignation 
of  the  faithful  servant  of  God,  who  could  appeal 
to  his  unselfishness,  whereby  at  the  same  time 
the  sentiment  is  expressed  that  despotism  of  the 
conscience  always  springs  from  ambition  and 
avarice.  Respect  not  thou  their  offering, 
(ver.  15)  is  his  prayer — the  mildest  form  iu 
which  he  could  implore  the  divine  vindication  of 
his  uprightness. 

And  Moses  said  unto  Korah,  etc.,  ver.  16 
sqq.  Here  follows  the  summons  already  men- 
tioned in  ver.  6  :  appear  to-morrow  with  censers 
before  .Jehovah  for  rivalry  with  Aaron  ;  only 
now  it  is  amplified  to  the  efi"ect  that  the  whole 
company,  and  as  such  also  the  third  faction  like- 
wise should  appear  with  their  censers,  the  sym- 
bols of  their  pretensions.  And  they  actually 
appeared.  Also  the  250  with  their  censers. 
Thus  250  censers,  it  is  added  supplementally ; 
as  if  we  were  to  say  :  250  horse,  or  so  many 
cowls.  The  250  censers  instead  of  the  one  cen- 
ser of  Aaron  is  the  main  point.  But  Korah  had 
contrived  that,  beside  this,  the  wliole  congrega- 
tion appeared  before  the  Tabernacle,  if  not  as 
his  decided  adherents,  still  with  ihe  inclination 
to  go  over  to  his  party,  that  stood  opposed  to 
the  two  apparently  helpless  men,  Mosea  and 
Aaron.  So  the  crowd  of  people  stood  wavering 
on  Carmel,  inclined  to  apostacy,  when  Elijah  con- 
tended with  the  priests  of  Baal,  and  so  the  mass 
of  craven  souls  mostly  stand  in  decisive  crises  in 
which  fidelity  has  to  contend  with  a  seductive 
novelty.  But  invariably  in  such  a  situation  there 
occurs  a  miraculous  turn  of  affairs:  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  appears.  Thus  it  appeared  :is 
Paul  went  to  Damascus  ;  when  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus  came  to  German^';  when  William  of  Orange 
went  to  England.  It  is  not  stated  how  in  the 
present  case  it  displayed  itself  to  the  whole 
people  ;  how  a  dread  of  God  developed  within  the 
Tabernacle  as  the  entire  crowd  pressed  to  the 
Tabernacle  door  to  profane  the  sanctuary. 

The  word  of  Jehovah  :  Separate  yourselves 
from  among  this  congregation  that  I  may 
consume  them,  ver.  21  sqq.,  was  probably 
manifested  to  the  people  only  by  their  seeing 
Moses  and  Aaron  (likely  within  the  Tabernacle) 
fall  on  their  faces  in  prayer.  Both  act  as  intei'- 
cessors  and  mediators  for  the  erring  people. 
Ah,  great  God  (El),  thou  God  of  the  spirits 
of  all  flesh,  what  may  that  mean  ?  Art  Thou 
notnow  their  Jehovah,  still  Thou  artthealmighty 
God,  that  rules  over  the  spirits  according  to 
their  peculiarity,  according  to  the  diflfereut  mea- 
sures of  their  guilt  and  innocence,  even  if  as 
flesh  they  appear  in  a  compact  mass.  As  the 
God  that  judges  the  spirits,  that  looks  on  the 
heart,  He  cannot  treat  all  alike  in  a  deceived 
people.  According  to  Baumgartex  the  expres- 
sion means  the  same  as  God  of  gods ;  according 


to  Keil,  it  designates  the  spirits  as  creatures  ; 
according  to  Knobel:  Author  and  Lord  of  all 
life.  The  intercession  runs:  the  one  man,  he 
may  have  sinned,  wilt  Thou  on  this  account 
burst  out  on  the  whole  congregation  ?  With  this 
the  one  man  is  of  course  surrendered  to  the  right- 
eous punishment  of  God;  yet  it  cannot  for  that 
release  the  whole  congregation,  but  all  will  de- 
pend on  who  is  hardened  and  who  not  when  the 
separation  is  called  for  between  the  congrega- 
tion and  the  guilty  man. 

Speak  unto  the  congregation,  etc.,  ver. 
21  sqq.      From  this  point  the  representation  be- 
comes difficult.     It  is  assumed   that  the  tents  of 
the  Levites  did  not  lie  far  from  those  of  the  Reu- 
benites,   Dathan   and  Abiram.     But  from  what 
follows  it  appears  that  we  are  to  understand  a 
distinction  between  the  Korah  faction,  or  those 
sacrificing  before  the  Tabernacle,  and  the  faction 
of  Dathan  and  Abiram,  an  iiio   in  partes,  as  in- 
deed further  on  is  accomplished  a  twofold  judg- 
ment.    Then  the  first  direction  reads,  verse  24 : 
take  your  stand  high  up  (far  enough  ofi")  making 
a  circuit  of  the   tents   Korah,    Dathan,  Abiram. 
In  this  appears  already  the  idea  of  the  abyss  in 
the  earth  developed  further  on.     And  now  there 
begins  a  flow  of  the  people  from  the  Tabernacle 
toward  the  dwelling  of  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abi- 
ram. We  leave  at  the  Tabernacle  the  men  burn- 
ing incense,   but  Moses  goes   now  to  the  tents 
of  Dathan  and  Abiram.     At  the  Tabernacle  the 
Levites   and   the  250  censers  have   apparently 
come  by  their  rights  ;  now   also  the  Reubenites 
must  be  distinguished  according  to  their  claims. 
Korah,  too,  must  follow  this  main  current,  which 
is  signified  when  it  is  stated  that  Moses  and  the 
elders  went  in  advance.     [The  omission  of  ex- 
press mention  of  Korah  in   vers.   27,    32,  gives 
reason  for  supposing  he  remained  at  the  Taber- 
nacle.— Tr.].     When  the   people  had   stationed 
themselves,  making  a  circuit  of  the  tents,  a  po- 
sition that  seemed  to  prepare  for  paying  homage, 
then  the  second  direction  to  the  people  follows  : 
Depart,  I  pray  you,  from  the  tents  of  these 
wicked  men,  etc.     A  ban  is  pronounced  upon 
them,   they  shall  perish   for  their  sin.     Mean- 
while  Dathan  and  Abiram,   with  their  families, 
still  stand  in  the  door  of  their  tent  as  if  they  ex- 
pected that  homage  would  be  done  them.  There- 
upon Moses  announces  the  decisive  sign  that  was 
to  attest  his  call  (ver.  28).     [Dr.  Langk  paints 
into  this  scene  too  much  of  what  he  calls  irony. 
Nothing  in  the  simple  account  justifies   this  i^lea 
of  a  mockery,  of  seeming  to  set  up  the  250  Le- 
vites as  the  objects  of  priestly  homage,  and  then, 
in  their  turn,  the  Reubenites  as   the  objects  of 
princely  homage,  while  Moses  himself  leads  (he 
farce  by  setting  the  people  around  in  a  circuit, 
the  whole  to  be  turned,  in  the  catastrophe,  into 
a  trap  for  the  awful  destruction  of  these  parties. 
Touch  nothing  of  theirs,  lest  ye  be  swept 
aw^ay  in  all  their  sins,  shows  no  pretence  of 
homage,  but  directly  the  reverse.     Princes  do 
not  stand  in   the  door  of  their  tent  with  their 
families,   even  to   the   little  babes,   when    they 
would   receive    homage.     This  was   simply  the 
posture  of  looking  on  as   passive   spectators  of 
their  own  desertion. — Tr.1. 

If  all  goes  on  as  usual  with  these  men,  so  that 
they  die  a  common  death  and  thus  meet  the 


90 


NUMBERS. 


universal  fate  of  men,  then  the  LORD  hath 
not  sent  me,  ver.  29.  Then  the  contrary  con- 
dition is  expressed  in  a  manner  that  is  quite  sig- 
niiicant  :  but  if  the  Lord  makes  something  alto- 
gether creative,  new  (^"'3''  nN*"j3jj  as  it  is  fur- 
ther defined,  then  ye  shall  know  that  (with  a 
happy  turn  of  expression)  these  people  have  re- 
jected Jehovah,  i.  e.,  not  me,  therefore,  as  this 
statement  quite  reminds  us  of  ver.  11:  ye  con- 
fpire  against  Jehovah — what  is  Aaron?  Blessed 
men  whose  guilelessness  gave  them  this  assu- 
rance, that  it  was  God's  affair  that  was  attacked 
in  them  (Jno.  xx.  23) !  How  basely  this  assu- 
rance has  been  abused  by  hierarchs  ancient  and 
modern !  But  here  it  proceeds  from  the  testi- 
mony of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  word  :  if  Jeho- 
vah shall  do  something  creative,  designates  the 
miracle  proper.  For  the  miracle  is  something 
out  and  out  new  in  an  old  familiar  sphere  of  life  ; 
a  new  word  as  a  prophecy  (Isa.  xhi.  9),  a  new 
fact  as  a  miracle  in  the  narrower  sense  (Jer. 
xxxi.  22),  a  new  covenant  as  the  unity  of  the  new 
•word  and  of  the  new  fact  (Jer.  xxxi.  31),  which 
is  celebrated  on  to  eternity  in  a  new  song,  and, 
in  respect  to  matter  and  form  (Luke  v.  88) 
proves  itself  to  be  the  new  principle  and  the  im- 
pelling power  of  the  world's  renovation  (Rev. 
xxi.  5),  and  also  forms  the  reason  for  the  new 


life  and  the  new  name  (Isa.  Ixii.  2).  The  new 
fact  that  Moses  announces  will  be  a  miracle  of 
punishment :  the  earth  wrill  open  her  mouth 
and  swallovy  the  rebels  alive. — And  so  it 
happened  ;  a  sudden  caving  in  of  the  ground 
swallowed  the  entire  space  where  the  rebels 
were.  The  surrounding  circle  of  the  people, 
among  whom  we  are  to  suppose  were  the  sons 
of  Korah,  draws  back  with  terror.  It  is  worthy 
of  note  that  here,  too,  the  terror  of  the  people 
(as  attritio)  has  no  sort  of  religious  manifestation 
as  its  consequence.  While  here  the  earth  swal- 
lowed up  the  greater  part  of  the  conspiracy, 
which  is  properly  designated  as  that  of  Korah,  in 
the  group  of  false  priests  that  were  offering  in- 
cense there  broke  out  a  fire  from  the  Lord  that 
destroyed  them;  as  in  their  time  Nadab  and 
Abihu  were  destroyed  by  fire.  Fire  from  hea- 
ven devours  the  men  that  committed  sacrilege  on 
the  true  priesthood,  on  the  fire  of  the  Spirit;  but 
under  the  rebels  against  the  God-ordained  earthly 
power  the  ground  under  foot  caves  in.  Moses, 
however,  appears  here,  too,  as  the  man  whose 
wonderful  presentiment  becomes  a  miraculous 
prophecy  by  the  Spirit  of  revelation.  The  dis- 
crepancies that  Knobel  has  tried  to  find  in  this 
section  Keil  clears  up. 


B.— THE   MONUxMENT   OF   THE   DIVINE  JUDGMENT,  AND  ON  THE  OTHER  HAND  THE 

MURMURING  CONGREGATION. 

Chapter  XVI.  36-50  (Heb.  Text  XVII.  1-15). 

36,  37  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  Eleazar  the  son  of 
Aaron  the  priest,  that  he  take  up  the  censers  out  of  the  burning,  and  scatter  thou 

38  the  fire  '■yonder  ;  for  they  are  hallowed.  The  censers  of  these  sinners  against  their 
own  souls,  let  them  make  them  broad  plates /or  a  covering  of  the  altar  :  for  they 
offered  them  before  the  Lord,  therefore  they  are  hallowed  :  and  they  shall  be  a 

39  sign  unto  the  children  of  Israel.  And  Eleazar  the  priest  took  the  brazen  censers, 
•"wherewith  they  that  were  burnt  had  offered  ;  and  they  were  made  broad  plates  for 

40  a  covering  of  the  altar  :  To  be  ii  memorial  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  no 
stranger,  which  is  not  of  the  seed  of  Aaron,  come  near  to  "offer  incense  before  the 
Lord  ;  ^that  he  be  not  as  Korah,  and  as  his  company  :  as  the  Lord  said  to  him  by 
the  hand  of  Moses. 

41  But  on  the  morrow  all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel  murmured 
against  Moses  and  against  Aaron,  saying.  Ye  have  killed  the  people  of  the  Lord. 

42  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  congregation  was  gathered  against  Moses  and  against 
Aaron,  that  they  looked  toward  the  'tabernacle  of  the  congregation  :  and,  behold, 

43  the  cloud  covered  it,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared.  And  Moses  and  Aaron 
came  before  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

44,  45  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Get  you  up  from  among  this  congre- 
gation, that  I  may  consume  them  as  in  a  moment.     And  they  fell  upon  their  faces. 

46  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  Take  'a  censer,  and  put  fire  therein  from  off  the 
altar,  and  put  on  incense,  and  «go  quickly  unto  the  congregation,  and  make  "an 
atonement  for  them :  for  there  is  wrath  gone  out  from  the  Lord  ;  the  plague  is 


CHAP.  XVI.  36-50. 


91 


47  begun.     And  Aaron  took  as  Moses  commanded,  and  ran  into  the  midst  of  the  'con- 
gregation ;  and,  behold,  the  plague  was  begun  among  the  people  :  and  he  put  on 

48  incense,  and  made  ""an  atonement  for  the  people.     And  he  stood  between  the  dead 

49  and  the  living  ;  and  the  plague  was  stayed.     Now  they  that  died  ""in  the  plague 
were  fourteen  thousand  and  seven  hundred,  besides  them  that  died  about  the  mat- 

50  ter  of  Korah.     And  Aaron  returned  unto  Moses  unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation  :  and  the  plague  was  stayed. 


'  away  off. 
I  Tent  of  Meeting, 
assembly. 


•»  which, 
'the. 


'  burn. 
6  brinff  it. 


*  and  that. 
^  omit  an. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

ITie  directions  to  Eleazar,  the  son  and  successor  of 
Aaron,  vers.  36-40.  To  him  is  committed  the 
place  of  burning  in  front  of  the  Tabernacle.  The 
fire  that  is  still  there  is,  as  something  profane, 
to  be  scattered  away  off  and  thus  destroyed.  The 
censers,  however,  have  been  sanctified,  not  by 
their  having  been  brought  near  to  the  sanctuary ,  but 
by  the  judgment  on  the  sinners,  who  sinned 
against  their  souls  and  forfeited  their  lives. 
Hence  the  censers  must  be  gathered  out  of  the 
burning  and  be  used  as  plates  to  cover  the  altar 
of  burnt-offerings.  This  would  be  a  monument 
to  the  people  to  warn  them  of  the  judgment  of 
God.     It  was  done  accordingly. 

The  murmuring  congregation,  vers.  41-50.  There 
is  presented  to  us  here  a  very  remarkable   psy- 
chological  phenomenon.     First,    there    arises  a 
murmuring  in  the   whole  congregation  against 
Moses  and  Aaron,  that  comes  even  to  their  ears: 
Ye  have  killed  the  people  of  the  LORD, 
41.     At  first,  therefore,  their  faith  in  the  sanc- 
tity of  the  fanatics  continued,  and  they  went  on 
believing  that  they  were  the  real  people  of  God, 
even  after  the  great  penal  judgment.     A  similar 
obduracy  and  blindness  appears   also  after  the 
judgment  on  the  priests  of  Baal,  after  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  after  the  Thirty  Years' 
war,  as  the  blame  of  the  last  is  laid  on  the  Pro- 
testants.    But  how  could  Moses  be  blamed  for 
the    extraordinary  penal    judgment,   especially 
when  he,  on  the   contrary,  had  prayed  for  the 
preservation    of  the  people  excepting    Korah  ? 
Clearly   they  must    have    assumed,    either    that 
Moses  foresaw  the  natural  conditions  of  the  judg- 
ment, say  the  conflagration  proceeding  from  the 
burning   of  incense  and  the  earthquake    occa- 
sioned along  with  it,  or  that  he  employed  magic 
arts  to  bring  about  the  calamities.     In  a  word, 
here  superstitious  belief  in  a  fanatical  idol  pre- 
vails against  the  most  convincing  facts ;  history 
is  given  up  for  the  sake  of  the  delusive  image  of 
a  would-be  idea.     And  in    fact  so   decidedly  is 
this  the  case  that  the  congregation  make  a  fac- 
tion against  Moses  and  Aaron  before  the  Taber- 
nacle.    This  time  the  glory  of  the  Lord  spreads 
a  cloud  of  smoke  that  covers  the  whole  Taber- 
nacle,  and    behind    which    disappear  from    the 
people  the  hard-pressed  men  of  God.     The  mean- 
ing of  this  is:  they  shall  raise  themselves  OO'IH) 
out  of  this  congregation  and  above  it,  .Jehovah 
will  exterminate  this  apparently  obdurate  con- 
gregation.    The  men  fall  on  their  faces  before 
the  majesty  of  Jehovah,  but  an  intercession  is 


no  more  audible  (see  1  Jno.  v.  16).  Rather 
Moses  recognizes  that  the  wrath  (^V:p.)  ^^^  forth- 
bursting  wrath)  of  God,  as  the  real  source  of  all 
moi-tal  judgments  (Ps.  xc),  has  begun  to  pour 
out  on  the  congregation,  that  outside,  therefore, 

the  decreed  plague  of  sudden  death   (^JJ)  had 

begun.  But  this  time  Aaron  must  intercede  as 
high-priest,  and  make  atonement  for  the  congre- 
gation with  incense  as  the  symbol  of  intercession. 
Thus  he  must  hasten  out  with  the  censer  into 
the  midst  of  the  congregation.  He  places  him- 
self, burning  incense,  between  the  dead  and  the 
living ;  a  grand  position,  rich  in  symbolical  sig- 
nificance.    Thus  the  plague  is  shut  off,  interned 

"T 

The  250  censers  of  the  fanatics  effected  nothing 
but  deadly  fatality  ;  the  one  censer  of  the  true 
high-priest  saves  life,  conquers  death  by  making 
a  separation  between  the  living  and  the  dead  (an 
antithesis  brought  out  by  Kurtz)  !  It  is  true 
that  14,700  had  already  fallen,  apart  from  the 
destruction  of  the  faction  of  Korah.  The  smoking 
incense  of  the  high-priest's  atonement  had  here 
no  doubt  the  same  significance  that  the  Brazen 
Serpent  had  later  (xxi.).  It  is,  therefore,  mis- 
leading when  Keil  affirms  :  the  power  and  effi- 
cacy of  it  did  not  depend  on  the  inwardness  and 
efficacy  of  the  subjective  faith,  but  had  a  firm 
foundation  in  the  objective  power  of  the  divine 
institution.  That  verges  on  the  opus  opernlum, 
and  the  question  arises  :  is  not  subjective  faith 
reckoned  along  with  the  objective  institution? 

According  to  Keil,  the  plague  consisted  pro- 
bably in  a  sudden  falling  dead,  as  in  the  case  of 
a  pest  that  breaks  out  with  extreme  violence: 
'» not  that  we  should  regard  it  simply  as  a 
plague."  But  is  not  also  a  plague  a  divine  fa- 
tality? Of  course,  after  the  awful  reaction 
against  the  penal  judgments  of  God,  there  must 
have  set  in  an  equally  awful  reaction  of  con- 
science, as  in  the  case  of  the  death  of  Ananias 
and  Sapphira.  The  truth  of  the  high-priestly 
office  was  of  course  mightily  confirmed  by  this 
atonement. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

ON    ALL    OF    CHAPTER    XVI. 

The  rebellion  of  Korah.  The  nature  of  the 
spirit  of  faction.  1)  A  great  common  antipathy 
against  the  spirit  and  the  law  of  the  rightfully 
existing  order.  2)  An  agitation  of  ambitious 
heads.  3)  A  coalition  of  egotistic  and  opposing 
interests.  4)  A  mutinous  working  up  of  the 
masses.     The    spiritualism    of    the    Levites    in 


92 


NUMBERS. 


league  with  the  legitimism  of  the  Reubenites  and 
the  anarchical  lusts  of  the  people.  The  fanati- 
cally anticipated  priesthood.  A  certain  dispo- 
sition of  the  race  of  Korah  to  inspiration  ap- 
peared in  later  times  through  the  sons  of  Korah 
in  the  Korahitic  poets  and  leaders  of  song.  On 
who  drew  back,  the  sons  of  Korah  who  refused 
to  join  in:  praise  of  circumspection  and  reflec- 
tion, especially  in  times  of  seductive  excitement. 
Moses  agitated  yet  steadfast.  How,  after  his 
■words  of  reproof  to  Korah,  he  seemed  to  take 
the  position  of  the  opponents  and  thereby  brought 


about  their  judgment.  The  double  form  of  the 
judgment.  The  stiflF-necked,  blind  adhesion  of 
the  congregation  to  their  betrayers,  their  aggra- 
vated complicity.  The  great  fatality  impending 
over  the  congregation  that  was  persisting  in  its 
blindness,  and  the  atoning  priest.  The  smoke 
of  the  censer  was  the  visible  image  of  the  com- 
passionate and  forgiving  intercession.  Aaron 
between  the  dead  and  the  living,  or  the  most 
beautiful  and  exalted  moment  in  his  life  as 
priest. 


FOURTH    SECTION. 

The  New  Miraculous  Confirmation  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood. 
Chapter  XVIT.   1-13  (Heb.  Text  XVII.   16-28), 

1,  2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  take  *of  every  one  of  them  a  rod  according  to  the  house  of  their  fathers,  of  all 
their  princes  according  to  ""the  house  of  their  fathers,  twelve  rods :  write  thou  every 

3  man's  name  upon  his  rod.     And  thou  shalt  write  Aaron's  name  upon  the  rod  of 

4  Levi :  for  one  rod  shall  be  for  the  head  of  ""the  house  of  their  fathers.  And  thou 
shalt  lay  them  up  in  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation  before  the  testimony, 

5  where  "^I  Avill  meet  with  you.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  the  man's  rod,  whom 
I  shall  choose,  shall  ^blossom  :  and  I  will  make  to  cease  from  me  the  murmurings 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  'whereby  they  murmur  against  you. 

6  And  Moses  spake  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  every  one  of  their  princes 
gave  him  ^a  rod  apiece,  for  each  prince  one,  according  to  their  fathers'  houses,  even 

7  twelve  rods  :  and  the  rod  of  Aaron  tvas  among  their  rods.     And  Moses  laid  up  the 

8  rods  before  the  Lord  in  the  tabernacle  of  ^witness.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  on 
the  morrow  Moses  went  into  the  tabernacle  of  ^witness ;  and,  behold,  the  rod  of 
Aaron  for  the  house  of  Levi  was  budded,  and  brought  forth  buds,  and  bloomed 

9  blossoms,  and  yielded  "almonds.  And  Moses  brought  out  all  the  rods  from  before 
the  Lord  unto  all  the  children  of  Israel :  and  they  looked,  and  took  every  man 
his  rod. 

10  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Bring  Aaron's  rod  again  before  the  testimony, 
to  be  kept  for  a  token  against  the  ^rebels ;  'and  thou  shalt  quite  take  away  their 

11  murmurings  from  mc,  that  they  die  not.  And  Moses  did  so:  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded him,  so  did  he. 

12  And  the  children  of  Israel  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Behold,  we  die,  we  perish, 

13  we  all  perish.  Whosoever  cometh  anything  near  unto  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord 
shall  die :  shall  we  be  consumed  with  dying  ? 


1  Heb.  a  rod  for  one  prince,  a  rod  for  one  prince. 


*  Heb.  children  of  rebellion. 


»  of  them  ro'h,  one  far  cachfnthcr^s  house. 

\ I  meet  with  you,  Stikk,  De  Wette. — Tr.] 
*  hud.  t  which. 

'  that  thou  tnavest  make  an  end  of. 


^  their  fathers''  houses. 
Dr.  Lanoe  :  where  J  show  myself  to  you. 
t  testimony. 


e  Tent  of  Meeting. 
[See  on  i.  1  above. — Tb.] 
b  ripe  almonds. 


CHAP.  XVII.  1-13. 


93 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

In  reference  to  the  connectiou  of  this  section 
with  the  foregoing  and  following  ones,  Knobel 
remarks,  that  this  outcry  (xvi.  12,  13)  would 
come  in  very  suitably  after  xvi.  44,  45,  but  cer- 
tainly does  not  belong  here  a  day  after  the 
plague  had  ceased,  and  when  Jehovah  was 
already  reconciled  (xvii.  10).  This  critic,  who 
is  usually  able  to  discover  an  interpolation 
where  there  is  none,  passes  by  the  present  stri- 
king indications  of  one  without  further  remark. 
Keil,  on  the  other  hand,  finds  no  difiBoulty  in 
believing  that  the  story  that  Aaron's  rod  brought 
forth  in  one  night,  not  only  buds,  but  also  blos- 
soms and  fruit,  is  the  simple  and  literal  truth. 
Yet  the  question  presents  itself:  Was  not  the 
confirmation  of  Aaron  by  the  act  of  incense- 
oflfering,  that  abated  the  great  pestilence,  stronger 
than  the  confirmation  by  the  miracle  of  the 
blossoming  rod,  in  which  Moses  alone  attended 
to  depositing  the  rod  in  the  Tabernacle,  and 
which  might  so  easily  have  occasioned  fresh 
mistrust?  If  after  xvi.  50  we  read  xvii.  12, 
there  appears  a  complete  connection.  And  this 
connection  continues  in  xviii.  when  it  states  of 
Aaron:  "Thou  and  thy  sons  and  thy  father's 
house  with  thee  shall  bear  the  iniquity  of  the 
Sanctuary,"  etc.  These  words  stand  out  like  a 
commentary  upon  the  act  of  atonement  enjoined 
before.  The  phenomenon  of  Aaron's  rod  blos- 
soming calls  to  mind  the  joys  and  honors  of  the 
priesthood,  rather  than  its  sufferings  and  humi- 
liations, and  it  could  hardly  call  forth  a  cry  of 
woe  from  the  people,  but  would  sooner  evoke  a 
festal  celebration.  However,  if  there  seems  to 
lie  before  us  here  an  interpolation  of  a  later 
date,  still  we  hold  fast  that  it  belongs  within 
the  sphere  of  revelation,  and  refers  to  some 
mysterious  fact  connected  with  the  Aaronic 
priesthood,  to  which  has  been  given  a  symbolic 
form.  The  motive  of  the  interpolation  here  was 
the  desire  to  put  together  the  various  testimo- 
nies to  the  divine  legitimacy  of  the  Aaronic 
priesthood  ;  just  as  a  similar  interest  occasioned 
the  interpolation  of  1  John  v.  7,  and  in  like 
manner  the  incorporation  of  the  Epistle  of  Jude 
in  2  Pet.  (see  my  Gesch.  des  aposiolischer  Zeital- 
ters,  I.,  p.  156).  According  to  the  assumptions 
of  canonical  purity,  we  can  understand  the  in- 
terpolations that  occur  very  seldom,  and  have  a 
motive,  easier  than  we  can  understand  a  conti- 
nuous revision  of  three  chapters  with  interpola- 
tions such  as  is  assumed  by  our  worthy  colleague 
in  the  work  on  Daniel  in  reference  to  Dan.  x.- 
xii.  [see  Dr.  Zoeckler's  Introd.  to  Daniel,  ^  4, 
Rem.  1,  On  the  Unity,  and  the  Comm.  at  Dan. 
x.-xii.,  "  Prelim.  Remarks  on  the  Last  Vision  of 
Daniel,"  and  Dr.  Lange's  hypothesis  regarding 
Daniel  in  the  volume  on  Gen.,  Introd.,  ^  25. — 
Tr.].  The  interruption  of  the  connection  is 
here,  as  in  2  Pet.  and  in  1  Jno.,  to  be  particu- 
larly noticed  as  a  specially  important  indication. 
Thus  also  in  the  book  of  Joshua  we  cannot 
ignore  the  connection  between  vers.  13  and  16 
of  chap.  X. 

[The  result  of  the  foregoing,  stated  in  plain 
terms,  is  that  there  never  was  such  a  miracle 
as  the  blossoming  of  Aaron's  rod.     Nothing  is 


saved  by  the  indefinite  notion  of  "some  myste- 
rious fact  connected  with  the  Aaronic  priest- 
hood, to  which  was  given  a  symbolic  form," 
unless  this  very  miracle  was  the  mysterious 
fact,  and  the  symbolism  is  that  of  the  miracle 
itself  as  recorded.  Something  that  was  not  this 
miracle,  but  is  recorded  as  a  startling  miracle 
that  is  incredible,  cannot,  as  regards  the  record, 
"belong  to  the  sphere  of  revelation,"  for  the 
record  is  false,  aiid  it  is  the  record  that  is  the 
revelation  for  us.  It  reveals  nothing  if  the  facts 
were  not  so.  Moreover  the  symbolism  is  nothing 
without  the  fact.  But  if  such  a  miracle  was 
wrought,  then  it  fits  into  the  present  history. 
The  abruptness  of  the  account  harmonizes  with 
the  event.  How  could  such  a  miracle  happen 
in  any  other  way  ?  Once  accept  the  simple 
account,  and  the  moral  harmony  of  the  events 
soon  impresses  the  mind,  and  is  expressed  by 
many  commentators.  Thus  Calvin  says:  ''Al- 
though the  majesty  of  the  priesthood  had  been 
already  sufficiently,  and  more  than  sufficiently 
established,  still  God  saw  that  in  the  extreme 
perversity  of  the  people  there  would  be  no  end 
to  their  murmurs  and  rebellions,  unless  a  final 
ratification  were  added,  and  that,  too,  in  a  sea- 
son of  repose,  inasmuch  as,  whilst  the  sedition 
was  in  progress,  they  were  not  disposed  and 
ready  to  learn."  And  on  the  outcry  of  the  peo- 
ple, vers.  12,  13,  Bush  remarks:  "A  miracle 
of  mercy  seems  to  have  extorted  from  them  the 
confession  which  previous  miracles  of  judgment 
had  failed  to  do."— Tr.] 

Vers.  2,  8.  The  twelve  rods  are  taken  from 
the  twelve  princes  of  Israel's  tribes,  according 
to  the  rule  that  the  eldest  son  of  a  father's  house 
(patriarchate)  within  a  tribe  is  the  prince. 
Aaron  was  older  than  Moses.  The  rods  that 
they  took  were  not  necessarily  the  staves  that 
they  used ;  they  could  be  fresh  rods,  and  it  is 
an  intruded  notion  of  Keil's  to  represent  here, 
that  the  staves,  as  staves  of  the  head  of  the 
house,  would  signify  the  man's  dignity  as  ruler, 
whence  the  staff  of  the  prince  becomes  the  scep- 
tre. According  to  Keil,  the  explanation  of 
EwALD,  that  fresh  cuttings  of  the  almond  tree 
were  taken,  and  the  rod  marked  with  Aaron's 
name  blossomed  the  best  over  night,  goes  flat  in 
the  face  of  the  text.  Of  course  this  is  true  re- 
garding absolute  literalness.  But  it  is  allowable 
here,  too,  to  look  on  the  letter  as  anointed  with 
the  oil  of  symbolic-spiritual  expression.  More- 
over, the  antithesis:  the  priesthood  did  not 
have  its  root  in  natural  dispositions  and  natural 
gifts,  but  flowed  from  the  power  of  the  Spirit, 
sets  nature  and  grace  in  a  false  opposition.  We 
know,  for  instance,  that  Aaron  had  the  natural 
gift  of  eloquence ;  but  the  Lord  made  this  the 
basis  of  the  anointing  with  the  priestly  spirit. 
The  almond  tree  is  called  the  alert,  the  one 
early  up  in  reference  to  blossoms  and  fruit,  Jer. 
i.  11  [see  Almond-Tree  in  Smith's  Bib.  Did. 
— Tr.] 

Ver.  5.  For  the  present,  the  mortal  judgment 
of  Jehovah  and  the  subsequent  atonement  had 
subdued  the  murmuring  of  the  people.  But  it 
might  in  the  sequel  be  aroused  again.  This 
was  to  be  counteracted  by  the  budding  and 
blossoming  of  Aaron's  rod.  Does  that  mean: 
the  permanent  reminiscence  of  the  miracle  once 


94 


NUMBERS. 


performed,  and  the  knowledge  that  there  was  a 
rod  in  the  Holiest  of  all,  laid  beside  the  ark  of 
the  covenant,  that  the  people  did  not  see?  [Dr. 
Laxge  seems  to  hint  at  an  absurdity  here.  If 
80,  we  might  reason  in  the  same  way  about  the 
pot  of  manna  and  of  the  tables  of  the  Law. — Tr.] 
or  does  it  not  rather  have  the  symbolical  mean- 
ing: the  st;ilf  of  the  priest  must  maintain  itself 
in  the  full  recognition  of  the  people  by  its  fresh, 
spiritual  budding,  blossoming  and  fruit-bearing? 
Any  way,  the  rod  in  the  Holiest  of  all  fell  now 
and  then  only  under  the  eyes  of  Aaron,  also  in 
chap,  xviii.  things  appertaining  thereto  are  laid 
on  his  heart, 

Ver.  6.  The  rods  were  each  designated  by  the 
name  of  the  tribal  prince  that  they  represented; 
Aaron's  was  among  the  rest — very  much  as  in 
drawing  lots.  [The  rods  were  not  marked  with 
the  names  of  the  tribes,  Levi  excepted,  for  which 
Aaron's  name  was  substituted,  as  Keil  states, 
"  The  Levites  had  taken  part  in  the  late  out- 
break. It  was  therefore  necessary  to  vindicate 
the  supremacy  of  the  house  of  Aaron  over  them; 
and  accordingly  his  name  was  written  on  the 
rod  of  Levi,  although,  being  the  son  of  Kohath, 
the  second  son  of  Levi  (Exod.  vi.  16  sqq.),  he 
would  not  be  the  natural  head  of  the  tribe." 
Bib.  Comm. — Tr.] 

Ver.  9.  As  Moses  went  back  and  forth  alone 
in  caring  for  the  rods,  the  decision  effected  by 
the  blossoming  rod  brought  out  of  the  Holiest 
of  all  presupposes  the  most  decided  confidence, 
whereas  the  people  saw  the  atoning  cloud  of 
incense.  This  consideration  might  also  point 
away  to  the  rich  symbolical  contents  of  the 
passage. 

Vers.  12,  13.  These  outbursts  of  mortal  terror 
can  hardly  be  referred  to  the  priestly  rod. 
Only  the  newly  decked  staff  of  the  pontiff  in  the 
middle  ages  could  occasion  such  an  outcry  from 
his  associates  and  the  popular  masses  that  were 
subject  to  him.  On  the  other  hand,  they  fit 
perfectly  to  the  story  of  the  terrible  judgment 
of  death.  [This  fact  does  not  conflict  with  the 
miracle    having   its   influence   also.     The    ruin 


that  followed  their  presumption  and  the  proof 
that  Aaron  was  chosen  to  stand  before  God  in 
holy  things  were  fitted  to  bring  them  again  to 
the  mind  they  exhibited  Exod.  xx.  19:  "Speak 
thou  with  us,  and  we  will  hear;  but  let  not  God 
speak  with  us,  lest  we  die."  Only  now  the  feel- 
ing is  with  reference  to  Aaron,  and  not  Moses, 
and  with  reference,  not  to  God's  approaching 
them,  but  their  approaching  God. — Tr.] 

With  regard  to  the  almond  trees  in  the  penin- 
sula of  Sinai,  and  analogous  stories  outside  of 
the  sphere  of  the  theocracy,  and  also  other  in- 
terpretations of  our  text,  e.  g.  that  Jehovah  de- 
cided for  Aaron's  rod  by  lot,  and  that  then  his 
rod  was  decked  with  blossoms  and  fruit  in  token 
of  the  decision,  see  Knobel,  p.  99. 

In  regard  to  the  number  of  the  rods,  it  is 
assumed  by  Knobel  and  Keil  that  Aaron's  rod 
is  counted  in  with  the  twelve  rods,  consequently 
that  Ephraim  and  Manasseh  are  reckoned  as  one 
tribe  of  Joseph  ("as  Deut.  xxvii.  12").  This 
view  is  more  probable  than  that  of  Baumoarten, 
that  Aaron's  rod  was  written  on  a  thirteenth 
rod. 

Baumoarten  gives  the  strongest  antithesis  to 
the  universal  priesthood  in  the  following  words: 
"  The  rod  of  the  chosen  priest  must  become  alive 
again  by  the  miraculous  power  of  Jehovah, 
before  whose  face  the  rods  are  laid  down.  That 
is,  the  priest,  apart  from  his  oflBce,  is  a  natural 
man  (! ),  and  as  such  subject  to  death,  and  set 
outside  of  the  power  and  fulness  of  life,  as  a 
severed  and  dried  staff  (one  put  out  of  ofiice  ?). 
But  by  the  consecration  of  the  holy  oil  and 
ornament  there  comes  into  him  and  over  him,  in 
the  power  of  Jehovah,  the  new  life  of  the  Spirit, 
so  that  he  can  impart  of  its  fulness  to  others." 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  xvii.  The  budding  rod  of  Aaron  with 
its  blossoms  and  fruit  a  certificate  of  his  priestly 
calling.  The  dry  and  dead  priestly  rods  as 
witnesses  against  a  dead  priesthood.  Against  a 
dead  conception  of  office. 


FIFTH    SECTION. 

The  more   Definite   Signification  of  the   Priesthood  and  of  the   Services  of  the 

Levites.     Rights  and   Duties. 

Chapter  XVIII.  1-32. 

1  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Aaron,  Thou  and  thy  sons  and  thy  fathers'  house  with 
thee  shall  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  sanctuary :  and  thou  and  thy  sons  with  thee 

2  shall  bear  the  iniquity  of  your  priesthood.  And  thy  brethren  also  "of  the  tribe  of 
Levi,  the  tribe  of  thy  father,  bring  thou  with  thee,  that  they  may  be  joined  unto 
thee,  and  minister  unto  thee :  but  thou  and  thy  sons  with  thee  ^shall  minister  before 

3  the  tabernacle  of 'witness.  And  they  shall  keep  thy  charge,  and  the  charge  of  all 
the  tabernacle  :   only  they  shall  not  come  nigh  the  vessels  of  tlie  sanctuary  and  the 

4  altar,  that  neither  they,  nor  ye  also,  die.  And  they  shall  be  joined  unto  thee,  and 
keep  the  charge  of  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  for  all  the  service  of  the 


CHAP.  XVIII.   1-32.  95 


5  tabernacle :  and  a  stranger  shall  not  come  nigh  unto  you.  And  ye  shall  keep  the 
charge  of  the  sanctuary,  and  the  charge  of  the  altar ;  that  there  be  no  wrath  any 

6  more  upon  the  children  of  Israel.  And  I,  behold,  I  have  taken  your  brethren  the 
Levites  from  among  the  children  of  Israel :  to  you  theij  are  given  as  a  gift  for  the 

7  Lord,  to  do  the  service  of  the  '^tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  ^Therefore  thou 
and  thy  sons  with  thee  shall  keep  your  priest's  office  for  everything  of  the  altar, 
and  within  the  vail ;  and  ye  shall  serve :  I  have  given  your  priest's  office  unto  you 
as  a  service  of  'gift :  and  the  stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death. 

8  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Aaron,  Behold,  I  also  have  given  thee  the  charge  of 
mine  heave  offerings  «of  all  the  hallowed  things  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  unto  thee 
have  I  given  them  "by  reason  of  the  anointing,  and  to  thy  sons,  'by  an  ordinance 

9  for  ever.  This  shall  be  thine  of  the  most  holy  things,  reserved  from  the  fire :  every 
oblation  of  theirs,  every  ''meat  offering  of  theirs,  and  every  sin  offering  of  theirs, 
and  every  'trespass  offering  of  theirs,  which  they  shall  render  unto  me,  shall  he 

10  most  holy  for  thee  and  for  thy  sons.     In  the  most  holy  2)l(^ce  shalt  thou  eat  it ; 

11  every  male  shall  eat  it:  it  shall  be  holy  unto  thee.  And  this  is  thine;  the  heave 
offering  of  their  gift,  with  all  the  wave  offerings  of  the  children  of  Israel :  I  have 
given  them  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  sons  and  to  thy  daughters  with  thee,  'by  a  statute 

12  for  ever :  every  one  that  is  clean  in  thy  house  shall  eat  of  it.  All  the  'best  of  the 
oil,  and  all  the  ^best  of  the  wine,  and  of  the  wheat,  the  firstfruits  of  them  which 

13  they  "shall  offer  unto  the  Lord,  them  have  I  given  thee,  ""And  whatsoever  is  first 
ripe  in  the  land,  which  they  shall  bring  unto  the  Lord,  shall  be  thine ;  every  one 

14  that  is  clean  in  thine  house  shall  eat  of  it.     Every  thing  devoted  in  Israel  shall  be 

15  thine.  Every  thing  that  openeth  the  matrix  in  all  flesh,  which  they  bring  unto 
the  Lord,  ivhether  it  he  of  men  or  beasts,  shall  be  thine  :  nevertheless  the  firstborn 
of  man  shalt  thou  surely  redeem,  and  the  firstling  of  unclean  beasts  shalt  thou 

16  redeem.  "And  those  that  are  to  be  redeemed  from  a  month  old  shalt  thou  redeem, 
according  to  thine  estimation,  for  ^the  money  of  five  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of 

17  the  sanctuary,  which  is  twenty  gerahs.  But  the  firstling  of  a  cow,  or  the  firstling 
of  a  sheep,  or  the  firstling  of  a  goat,  thou  shalt  not  redeem;  they  are  holy:  thou 
shalt  sprinkle  their  blood  upon  the  altar,  and  shalt  burn  their  fat  "^Jor  an  offering 

18  made  by  fire,  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord.     And  the  flesh  of  them  shall  be 

19  thine,  as  the  wave  breast  and  as  the  right  shoulder  ""are  thine.  All  the  heave 
offerings  of  the  holy  things,  which  the  children  of  Israel  offer  unto  the  Lord,  have 
I  given  thee,  and  thy  sons  and  thy  daughters  with  thee,  'by  a  statute  for  ever :  it 
is  a  covenant  of  salt  for  ever  before  the  Lord  unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed  with  thee. 

20  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Aaron,  Thou  shalt  have  no  inheritance  in  their  land, 
neither  shalt  thou  have  any  part  among  them :  I  am  thy  part  and  thine  inheritance 
among  the  children  of  Israel. 

21  _  And,  behold,  I  have  given  the  children  of  Levi  all  the  tenth  in  Israel  for  an 
inheritance,  'for  their  service  which  they  serve,  even  the  service  of  the  '^tabernacle 

22  of  the  congregation.     'Neither  must  the  children  of  Israel  henceforth  come  nigh 

23  the  ''tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  lest  they  bear  sin,  ^and  die.  "But  the  Levites 
shall  do  the  service  of  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  they  shall  bear  their 
iniquity :  it  shall  he  a  statute  for  ever  throughout  your  generations,  that  among 

24  the  children  of  Israel  they  have  no  inheritance.  But  the  tithes  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  which  they  ^offer  as  a  heave  offering  unto  the  Lord,  I  have  given  to  the 
Levites  to  inherit :  therefore  I  have  said  unto  them,  Among  the  children  of  Israel 
they  shall  have  no  inheritance. 

25,  26  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  ^Thus  speak  unto  the  Levites,  and 
say  unto  them.  When  ye  take  of  the  children  of  Israel  the  tithes  which  I  have 
given  you  from  them  for  your  inheritance,  then  ye  shall  offer  up  a  heave  offering 

27  of  it  for  the  Lord,  even  a  tenth  part  of  the  tithe.  And  this  your  heave  offering 
shall  be  reckoned  unto  you,  as  though  it  were  the  corn  of  the  threshing  floor,  and 

28  as  the  fulness  of  the  winepress.  Thus  ye  also  shall  ^offer  a  heave  offering  unto  the 
Lord  of  all  your  tithes,  which  ye  receive  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  ye  shall 


96 


NUMBERS. 


29  give  thereof  the  Lord's  heave  offering  to  Aaron  the  priest.  Out  of  all  your  gifts 
ye  .shall  ''otfer  every  heave  offering  of  the  Lord,  of  all  the  ^best  thereof,  even  the 

30  hallowed  part  thereof  out  of  it.  Therefore  thou  shalt  say  unto  them,  When  ye 
""have  heaved  the  best  thereof  from  it,  then  it  shall  be  counted  unto  the  Levites  as 

31  the  increase  of  the  threshing  floor,  and  as  the  increase  of  the  winepress.  And  ye 
shall  eat  it  in  every  place,  ye  and  your  households :  for  it  is  your  reward  for  your 

32  service  in  the  '^tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  And  ye  shall  bear  no  sin  by  reason 
of  it,  when  ye  ""have  heaved  from  it  the  best  of  it:  neither  shall  ye  pollute  the  holy 
things  of  the  children  of  Israel  ^lest  ye  die. 


1  Heb.  fat. 


«  Heb.  to  die. 


a  omit  of.                             *  shall  be.  «  testtmony.                     d  Tent  of  Meeting.                     •  And. 

'  a.  e.  as  an  office  presented  to  them  by  God).  e  ;  as  for  all  the  hallowed  things,  unto  thee.  etc. 

^ /or  n  portion.                      ^  for  dues  forever.  ^  7neal-offerin(j. 

I  guilt-offering.                      ™  give.  n  The  first  ripe  fruits  of  all  that  is  in  their. 

o  And  its  ransom  (as  regards  the  ransom),  from  a  month  on  (when  it  is  a  month  old)  thou  shalt  ransom,  etc. 

V  five  silver  shekels.               l  as  a  fire-sacrifice.  *  it  shall  he.                          »  in  return  for. 

*  And  no  more  shall  (omit  henceforth).  "  But  the  (tribe)  Levi,  he  shall  do,  etc.             »  heave. 

»  And  to  the  Levites  thou  shalt  speak.  «  omit  have.                     i  nor  die. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

By  the  saving  atonement  that  Aaron  accom- 
plished by  his  offering  of  incense  as  symbol  of  the 
sympathetic  high-priestly  intercession,  and  with 
which  he  stood  between  the  living  and  the 
dead,  and  by  the  blossoming  of  Aaron's  rod 
alone  effected  thereby  [!j,  the  priesthood  for 
the  entire  Old  Testament  is  established  as  a 
fact;  in  other  words,  the  centre  of  the  host 
of  God,  as  the  sanctuary  of  the  holy  nation. 
From  the  great  fact  Moses  now  draws  its  ideal 
meaning,  the  idea  of  the  priesthood,  according 
to  which  it  has  by  its  sympathy  to  bear  on  its 
heart  the  iniquities  of  the  nation,  even  the  ini- 
quities of  the  Levites,  and  the  rights  and  special 
duties  resulting  to  the  priests  and  Levites  from 
this  fundamental  obligation. 

Our  section  accordingly  subdivides  into  the 
following  parts:  1)  The  entire  priestly  race — 
especially  the  high-priest  and  his  sons  as  atoning 
mediators,  with  whom  the  Levites  shall  serve  as 
assistants,  vers.  1-3  a.  2)  The  limits  of  the  Le- 
vitical  calling  (which  the  rebellion  of  Korah 
would  have  broken  down),  especially  the  limits 
for  the  non-Levites,  under  threat  of  the  divine 
wrath  (death  penalty),  if  they  are  not  observed, 
vers.  3  6-5.  3)  The  divine  good-pleasure  in  dis- 
criminating between  the  Levites  and  priests. 
The  Levites  are  made  a  gift  to  the  Aaronites,  to 
the  Aaronites  also  the  prie.-thood  is  presented. 
They  all  together  constitute  the  personel  of  the 

sanctuary,  into  which  no  stranger  (1J,  Lev.  xxii. 

10).  no  one  that  is  not  a  Levite,  no  laj'man,  may 
presume  to  intrude  without  incurring  the  death- 
penalty.  For  the  whole  nation  indeed  is  holy, 
only  the  priests  are  sanctified  individually,  even 
the  Levites  individually  are  only  cleansed,  con- 
ditionally clean  are  all  that  are  not  unclean,  vers. 
6,  7.  4)  The  priestly  right  of  sustenance.  It 
consists  a.  in  the  heave-offerings,  of  the  sacrifices 
of  Israel,  of  which  only  Aaron  and  his  sons  may 
eat,  vers.  8-10;  b.  in  the  heave-offerings  of  the 
■wave-offerings  (the  levies  of  the  taxes)  which 
Aaron  and  his  sons  and  daughters  may  eat  toge- 
ther, the  whole  of  the  priestly  families,  on  con- 
dition that  the  individuals  are  in  a  state  of  purity, 
ver.  11.  5)  Specification  of  the  latter  income: 
The  first-fruita  of  oil,  new  wine,  corn,  and  all 


fruits  of  the    land :    the  vows  (that  devoted  to 

God,  D^n),   the  first-born,  except  that  the  firsts 

born  of  men  and  of  unclean  beasts  must  bo  ran- 
somed with  five  shekels,  and  that  the  blood  and  the 
fat  of  the  sacrificial  beasts  must  go  to  the  altar; 
In  addition  the  wave  breast  and  the  shoulder  of 
the  thank-offering.  Thus  it  is  established  for- 
ever (a  covenant  of  salt),  vers.  12-19.  6)  The 
last  reward  of  the  priests  is  conditioned  on  a  di- 
vine renunciation,  and  is  great  for  the  indivi- 
dual priest  in  proportion  as  he  exercises  renun- 
ciation; he  shall  not  possess  a  fixed  inheritance 
in  Israel ;  on  the  contrary,  Jehovah  Himself  will 
be  his  inheritance  (as  vice  versa  he  is  to  be  the 
clerus  of  Jehovah  in  a  particular  sense),  ver.  20. 
7)  The  revenues  of  the  Levites.  In  return  for 
their  official  service  they  shall  receive  the  tithes 
that  all  Israelites  are  to  pay.  On  the  other  hand 
they  are  in  their  service  to  join  in  bearing  the 
guilt  of  Israel,  and  must  make  no  claim  to  an  in- 
heritance of  land.  But  beside,  they  must  pay 
tithes  to  the  priests  of  their  tithes  as  a  heave-of- 
fering to  Jehovah,  and  indeed  of  all  they  must 
give  the  very  best.  There  is  a  delicate  distinc- 
tion observed  in  that  the  words  of  Jehovah  in 
ver.  23  are  addressed  directly  to  Aaron,  who,  as 
mediator  of  Israel,  does  not  in  this  business  need 
the  mediation  of  Moses,  since  it  especially  con- 
cerns his  duty,  and  his  rights  were  already  es- 
tablished before;  whereas  to  the  Levites  Jeho- 
vah speaks  by  Moses  when  He  enjoins  that  they 
shall  pay  the  tenth  of  the  tithes  to  the  priests. 
Moreover  the  considerate  expression  is  employed : 
"  Ye  shall  give  it  as  a  heave-offering  for  Jehovah 
to  the  priest  Aaron,"  vers.  21-32. 

Vers.  1-3  a.  A  discrimination  is  made  between 
a  wider  and  a  narrower  sphere  of  the  priestly 
calling  to  make  atonement.  The  guilt  of  the 
Sanctuary  is  the  guilt  that  is  brought  on  the 
Sanctuary ;  not  merely  offences  against  laws  for 
the  priests  and  against  the  sacred  utensils  (Kno- 
bel),  nor  even  the  uncleannesses  and  defects  that 
attached  to  those  that  stood  in  the  sanctuary  and 
even  to  their  gifts  (for  that  there  was  the  great 
Day  of  Atonement),  but  all  assaults  on  the  cen- 
tral Sanctuary,  corruptions  of  worship,  such  as 
the  murmuring  congregation  had  given  example 
of;  while  the  high-priestly  atonement  of  Aaron 
gave  an  example  of  bearing  (atoning  for)  the 


CHAP.  XVIII.  1-32 


97 


guilt.  To  the  wider  sphere  of  those  that  make 
atonement  all  the  Levites  are  to  belong;  they 
must  all  jointly  feel  with  an  interceding  soul 
what  is  sinfully  done  against  the  priestly  institu- 
tion; but  what  is  done  sinfully  within  this  insti- 
tution Aaron  and  his  sons  are  to  take  upon  their 
hearts.  Thus  the  sphere  of  high-priestly  com- 
passion concentrates  toward  the  New  Testament. 
Let   thy  brethren   approach  with  thee  in  so  far 

that   they  cleave  to    thee    ('^v]    conformably  to 

■"w).     They  shall  do  service  to  thy  service  and  to 

the  service  of  the  whole  Tabernacle.  This  ordi- 
nance of  the  priestly  atonement  is  the  foundation 
of  the  whole  section,  Heb.  v.  1  sqq. 

Vers.  3  6-5.  The  trespass  of  tlie  Levites  on  the 
sacred  utensils  would  bring  mortal  guilt  not  only 
on  themselves,  but  also  on  the  priests  that  suf- 
fered it. 

Vers.  6,  7.  The  bright  side  of  the  Levitical  and 
Aaronic  calling.  The  Levites  are  made  a  gift  to 
the  Aaronites,  and  likewise  the  priesthood  is 
made  a  gift  to  them.  Their  priesthood  therefore 
rests  on  a  double  gift  of  the  free  grace  of  God, 
and  in  them  the  Levites  too  receive  a  gift.  On 
every  hand  original  claims  of  right  are  ex- 
cluded. 

Vers.  8-10.  First  class  of  priestly  revenues. 
Heave-offerings  of  all  the  hallovred  things 
of  the  children  of  Israel. — Of  the  meal-ofifer- 
ings;  of  tue  small  sin-offerings  and  guilt-offer- 
ings; of  all  the  priests  receive  their  definite  por- 
tion; of  the  burnt-offerings  of  course  only  the 
hide.  The  heave-offerings  fell  to  the  priests  as 
out  of  the  fire,  so  to  speak,  sacrificial  fire;  there- 
fore they  were  very  holy,  and  might  only  be 
eaten  in  the  (very  holy)  fore-court  by  the  high- 
priest  and  his  sons.     The  expression  :  I  give  to 

thee  the  charge,  r\^DK/0,  ver.  8,  is  referred 

here  to  the  notion  nnE?D,  part,  portio.     But  any 

way,  the   high-priest  was   under   obligation   to 

maintain  the  right  to  the  definite  revenues. 

Vers.  11-19.  Second  more  general  class  of  re- 
venues (see  Lev.  vii.  33).  The  wave-breast  and 
the  heave-shoulder,  and  also  the  first-fruit  of 
every  sort  (Deut.  viii.  8;  xxvi.  2,  etc.).  Every 
thing  devoted  by  a  vow  (see  Lev.  xxvii.  28). 
The  Cherem  in  the  broader  sense,  what  is  conse- 
crated to  God. 

Ver.  20.  Between  the  renunciation  of  the  in- 
heritance in  land,  and  the  corresponding  renun- 
ciation of  the  priests  and  Levites,  and  their  im- 


measurable reward,  there  exists  an  intimate 
connection.  The  first  particular  is  the  condition 
of  the  second,  not  the  second  merely  a  consola- 
tion with  reference  to  the  first.  Of  late  much 
has  been  said  of  the  inferior  support  of  the 
clergy,  very  little  of  the  great  spiritual  indem- 
nity. Of  course  Jehovah  was  also  the  inheritance 
of  the  priest  and  of  the  Levite  only  pre-eminently. 
The  Levites  receive  no  possession  of  land  (xxvi. 
62;  Deut.  xii.  12  ;  xiv,  27;  Josh.  xiv.  3).  Their 
portion  is  Jehovah  (Deut.  x.  9;  xviii.  2  sqq.). 
In  and  with  Jehovah  they  possess  every  thing. 
This  fundamental  law  for  all  the  pious  is  concen- 
trated and  illustrated  by  the  priesthood. 

Vers.  21-32.  The  tithes  that  the  Levites  receive 
must  in  turn  be  regarded  as  if  they  were  their 
natural  acquisition  in  fruits  of  the  land,  ver.  27. 
In  this  sense  they  are  to  pay  their  dues  to  the 
priests,  and  that,  too,  the  best  of  what  they  re- 
ceived. On  the  other  hand,  what  they  receive 
must  be  assured  to  them  as  much  as  if  it  were 
the  yield  of  a  harvest  field  belonging  to  them, 
ver.  30.  Therefore  they  may  also  take  their 
food  any  place  as  they  like.  The  heathen  priests 
were  many  times  better  cared  for,  especially  the 
Egyptian  priests  with  their  great  landed  posses- 
sions ;  on  which  subject  see  Keil,  in  loc.  How 
fearfully  the  possession  of  land  by  a  priestly 
class  can  burden  a  country  and  people  is  taught 
us  by  the  Manus  mortua  of  the  ^Middle  Ages. 
But  now-a-days  men  have  the  assurance  to  say 
that  the  mediaeval  chief  priest  needs  a  whole  terri- 
tory in  order  to  be  able  to  take  care  of  his  office, 
whereas,  now  and  then,  he  certainly  takes  care 
of  it  zealously  in  his  fashion  without  territory. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap,  xviii.  The  faithful  care  and  protection 
of  the  Sanctuary  should  guard  against  the  judg- 
ments of  God  on  the  congregation  of  Israel.  The 
revenues  of  the  priestly  race  in  their  spiritual 
significance.  The  tithes  to  the  Levites  a  funda- 
mental form  of  Israelitish  taxes,  levies  and  col- 
lections. Hence  not  to  be  imposed  again  in  a 
legal  way  on  the  Christian  obligation  to  pay 
taxes. 

The  tenth  of  the  tenth  a  heave-offering  for  the 
priests.  Thus  the  members  of  the  church  that 
are  most  alive  are  the  best  supporters  of  the  offi- 
cial pastorate.  Care  was  thus  taken  that  the 
priests  did  not  receive  these  revenues  directly 
from  the  people.  Necessity  for  suitable  forma 
of  dues  for  the  clergy. 


93  NUMBERS. 


SIXTH    SECTION. 

General  Means  of  Purification  for  those  Defiled  by  Touching  the  Dead. 

Chapter  XIX.   1-22. 

1,  2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Aaron,  saying,  This  is  the  ordi- 
nance of  the  law  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  chil- 
dren   of  Israel,  that  they  bring  thee  a  red  heifer  without   spot,  wherein   is  no 

3  blemish,  and  upon  which  never  came  yoke.  And  ye  shall  give  her  unto  Eleazar 
the  priest,  Hhat  he  may  bring  her  forth  without  the  camp,  and  one  shall  slay  her 

4  before  his  face :  And  Eleazar  the  priest  shall  take  of  her  blood  with  his  finger,  and 
sprinkle  of  her  blood  Mirectly  before  the  "tabernacle  of  the  congregation  seven 

5  times.     And  one  shall  burn  the  heifer  in  his  sight ;  her  skin,  and  her  flesh,  and  her 

6  blood,  with  her  dung,  shall  he  burn :  And  the  priest  shall  take  cedar  wood,  and 

7  hyssop,  and  scarlet,  and  cast  it  into  the  midst  of  the  burning  of  the  heifer.  Then 
the  priest  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  he  shall  bathe  his  flesh  in  water,  and  after- 
ward he  shall  come  into  the  camp,  and  the  priest  shall  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

8  And  he  that  burneth  her  shall  wash  his  clothes  in  water,  and  bathe  his  flesh  in 

9  water,  and  shall  be  unclean  until  the  even.  And  a  man  that  is  clean  shall  gather 
up  the  ashes  of  the  heifer,  and  lay  them  up  without  the  camp  in  a  clean  place,  and 
it  shall  be  kept  for  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel  for  a  water  of  ^sepa- 

10  ration  :  'it  is  a  purification  for  sin.  And  he  that  gathereth  the  ashes  of  the  heifer 
shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even :  and  it  shall  be  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  unto  the  stranger  that  sojourneth  among  them,  for  a  statute 
for  ever. 

11  He  that  toucheth  the  dead  body  of  any  'man  shall  be  unclean  seven  days.     He 

12  shall  'purify  himself  with  it  on  the  third  day,  and  on  the  seventh  day  he  shall  be 
clean :  but  if  he  'purify  not  himself  the  third  day,  then  the  seventh  day  he  shall 

13  not  be  clean.  Whosoever  toucheth  the  dead  body  of  any  man  that  is  dead,  and 
^purifieth  not  himself,  defileth  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord  ;  and  that  soul  shall  be 
cut  off  from  Israel :  because  the  water  of  "^separation  was  not  sprinkled  upon  him, 

14  he  shall  be  unclean :  his  uncleanness  is  yet  upon  him.  This  is  the  law,  when  a 
man  dieth  in  a  tent :  all  that  come  into  the  tent,  and  all  that  Hs  in  the  tent,  shall 

15  be  unclean  seven  days.     And  every  open  vessel,  which  hath  no  covering  bound  upon 

16  it,  is  unclean.  And  'whosoever  toucheth  one  that  is  slain  with  a  sword  in  the  open 
fields,  or  a  dead  body,  or  a  bone  of  a  man,  or  a  grave,  shall  be  unclean  seven  days. 

17  And  for  an  unclean  person  they  shall  take  of  the  ^ashes  ''of  the  burnt  heifer  of  pu- 

18  rification  for  sin,  and  ^running  water  shall  be  put  thereto  in  a  vessel :  And  a  clean 
person  shall  take  hyssop,  and  dip  it  in  the  water,  and  sprinkle  it  upon  the  tent,  and 
upon  all  the  vessels,  and  upon  the  persons  that  were  there,  and  upon  him  that 

19  touched  'a  bone,  or  'one  slain,  or  'one  dead,  or  'a  grave:  And  the  clean  person  shall 

prinkle  upon  the  unclean  on  the  third  day,  and  on  the  seventh  day :  and  on  the 
seventh  day  he  shall  "purify  himself,  and  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  wa- 

20  ter,  and  shall  be  clean  at  even.  But  the  man  that  shall  be  unclean,  and  shall  not 
'purify  himself,  that-soul  shall  be  cut  ofi'from  "among  the  congregation,  because  he 
hath  defiled  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord  :  the  water  of  "separation  hath  nqt  been 

21  sprinkled  upon  him  :  he  is  unclean.  And  it  shall  be  a  perpetual  statute  unto  them, 
"that  he  that  sprinkleth  the  water  of  ""separation  shall  wash  his  clothes:  and  he  that 

22  toucheth  the  water  of  "separation  shall  be  unclean  until  even.  And  whatsoever  the 
unclean  person  toucheth  shall  be  unclean ;  and  the  soul  that  toucheth  it  shall  be 
unclean  until  even. 


CHAP.  XIX.  1-22. 


99 


1  Heb.  soul  of  man. 


'  Heb.  dust. 


*  Heb.  living  water  shall  be  given. 


»  and  one  shall  bring.  *  in  the  direction  toward.  «  Tent  of  Meeting. 

^purification  [literally:  "water  of  uncleaaness,"  i.e.,  for  removing  uncleanness;  similarly  "  water  of  sin '* 

viii.  7.— Tr.] 

»  it  is  a  Un  offering.  '  absolve.  e  absolveth. 

•>  are.  '  whosoever  in  the  open  field  toucheth,  etc. 

k  of  the  burning  of  the  sin-offering.  '  the.  m  absolve  him ;  and  he  shall  wash,  etc. 

n  the  midst  of  the  assembly.  '  And. 


TEXTUAL  AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Vers.  13,  20.   vSv  pSt-xS  mj  'f3  ^2-    "This  is  the  only  instance  of  D'O  being  construed  with  a  verb  in 

XT       I      -  T  .  ..  . 

the  singul.ir"  (Maurer).  Such  is  Ewald's  construction  also  (see  ^318  a),  who  refers  it  to  a  rule  that  "plurals 
whose  meaning  appears  as  a  singular  gradually  come  to  be  joined  with  the  (verb  in  the)  singular.  But  the  solita- 
riness of  this  (supposed)  instance  in  the  case  of  D'O  shows  that  the  word  retained  tenaciously  its  plural  notion, 

and  that  in  its  ease  there  was  no  gradual  change  to  a  use  in  the  singular.  The  construction  given  by  Naegels- 
BACH,  §100,  2,  is  better.  The  passive  in  Hebrew  may  receive  the  accusative  of  the  remoter  and  of  the  nearer  ob- 
ject. In  the  case  before  us  it  is  the  nearer  object.  As  Naegelsbach  says :  "  it  seems  that  in  this  case  the  passive 
mcludes  the  notion  of  its  active."  Accordingly  the  construction  would  be:  for  one  did  not  sprinkle  the  water 
of  purification  upon  him.  But  our  passive  with  the  object  changed  to  subject,  as  in  the  text,  correctly  renders 
the  meaning. — Tk.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

Once  more  the  legislation  reminds  us  of  the 
great  fatality  occasioned  by  the  rebellion  of  Ko- 
rah.  Afl.er  this  dreadful  mortality  it  became  appa- 
rent, that  it  would  be  impossible  to  attend  to  the 
purification  of  the  persons  defiled  by  corpses  by 
the  individual  purifications  heretofore  prescribed. 
The  most  numerous  priesthood  would  not  suffice 
for  this.  Hence  a  general  means  of  purification 
is  instituted,  the  sprinkling  of  the  defiled  with 
the  ashes  of  the  red  heifer  dissolved  in  living 
water.  Compare  Keil  in  loc.  This  institution 
appears  so  strange  that  investigation  has  been 
very  busy  with  it.  See  the  literary  references 
in  Keil  and  Knobel  in  loc. 

The  very  fact,  however,  that  a  previously  ex- 
isting custom  is  made  an  ordinance  leads  us  to 
go  back  to  the  former  elements.  It  is  a  fine 
trait  of  pious  humanity  that  the  declaration  of 
the  defilement  by  the  dead  comes  out  so  gently 
and  gradually.  No  doubt  the  defilement  by  the 
dead  is  indirectly  included  in  the  law  of  the  guilt- 
offering  (Lev.  v.  2,  3),  but  not  so  definitely  af- 
firmed. One  might  indeed,  by  too  great  severity, 
easily  do  injury  to  the  duties  of  love  and  com- 
passion. But  in  the  law  for  the  priests  (Lev. 
xxi.)  the  assumption  necessarily  crops  out  that 
contact  with  dead  bodies  occasions  defilement. 
So,  too,  in  the  law  for  the  Nazirites  (vi.).  Here, 
too,  the  defilement  is  fixed  at  seven  days.  Thus 
the  ordinance,  taken  quite  generally,  is  here 
fixed,  and  further  on  with  more  exact  specifica- 
tions in  xxxi.  19,  24.  Here  a  double  absolution 
is  commanded,  viz.^  on  the  third  and  on  the  se- 
venth day  of  exclusion  from  the  congregation. 
As  regards  the  rite  of  absolution,  the  law  goes 
back  to  what  was  prescribed  with  reference  to 
purifying  lepers  and  leprous  houses  (Lev.  xiv.). 
In  the  latter  case,  the  material  to  be  sprinkled 
was  the  blood  of  a  slaughtered  bird  dropped  into 
living  water  into  which  the  other  bird  has  been 
dipped,  combined  with  cedar-wood,  hyssop,  and 
scarlet.  Here  we  have  again  the  living  (run- 
ning) water,  only  the  admixture  is  not  blood  but 
ashes,  yet  ashes  of  the  blood-colored  young  cow, 
and  then  the  additions,  cedar-wood,  hyssop  and 
scarlet,  which  are  burned  in  the  burning  of  the 
cow.    But  the  symbolism  is  meant  to  be  the  same. 


The  red  color  of  the  heifer  may  therefore  be  bet- 
ter referred  to  the  blood-color  than  to  the  color 
of  blooming  life.  But  we  must  consider  that  the 
fresh  blood  makes  the  blooming  color  of  life  (see 
below).  And  if  the  additions,  cedar-wood,  etc., 
symbolize  life  itself,  then  the  blood,  consequently, 
too,  the  blood-color,  must  signify  the  surrender 
of  life. 

This  then  leads  to  a  further  necessary  distinc- 
tion, viz.,  between  death  itself  and  the  dead. 
Death  is  not  only  pure  in  itself,  but  also  purify- 
ing (Rom.  V.  7),  but  all  that  may  be  called  a 
corpse  is  unclean,  yea,  it  may  even  become  poi- 
son ;  and  not  only  in  a  symbolical  sense,  but  also 
in  a  physical  it  is  unclean.  We  must  emphasize 
this  distinction,  since  Keil  in  many  ways  con- 
founds, or  at  least  confuse,  death  itself,  and  that 
which  is  dead,  ''  that  death  and  mortal  corruption 
as  the  embodiment  (?)  of  sin  defiles  and  excludes 
from  communion  with  the  holy  God,  was  a  view 
banded  down  from  the  earliest  times,  from  the 
fall  of  Adam  and  its  consequences.  The  whole 
congregation  incurred  danger  of  being  infected 
with  the  defilement  of  death."  It  is  a  fact  that 
all  antiquity  saw  in  death  itself  a  sort  of  expia- 
tion, in  the  death  of  one  devoted  to  God  the  ac- 
tual expiation.  But  it  is  likewise  a  fact,  that  all 
antiquity  instinctively  saw  in  the  corpses  a  mon- 
strous peril  for  the  living,  and  primarily  in  a 
physical  sense.  Everything  that,  as  lifeless  stuflf, 
is  severed  from  the  actual  man,  by  digestion  or 
disease,  and  finally  by  the  process  of  dying, 
threatens  to  react  against  life  as  a  poison,  unless 
it  be  given  back  to  the  elements,  the  chemical 
cosmos  for  dissolution,  by  the  earth  or  by  fire. 
Hence  the  defilement  by  corpses  forms  the  cen- 
tral point  of  impurity.  But  this  has  a  great 
meaning  also  in  a  symbolical  sense.  If  it  is 
wicked  to  wish  to  rob  the  living  body  of  truth  of 
a  drop  of  blood,  not  to  speak  of  a  pound  of  flesh 
from  the  side  of  the  heart,  it  is  just  as  senseless 
to  wish  to  preserve  the  dead  elements,  even 
though  it  were  done  by  embalming  in  beautiful 
forms,  whether  of  style  or  of  party.  Thus  the 
custom  of  antiquity  observed  the  most  various 
degrees  according  to  which  touching  the  dead 
was  regarded  as  defiling.  See  in  Knobel,  p.  95 
sqq.,  a  discussion  of  this.  *'  The  Egyptians  ap- 
pear to  have  had  less  stringent  notions  in  this 
respect,"  writes  Knobel;  he  might  know  that  the 


100 


NUMBERS. 


Egyptians,  with  their  worship  of  the  dead,  with 
their  embalming  corpses  for  the  mummy  pits, 
represented  decidedly  the  absolute  conservatism 
in  this  respect.  In  our  time  it  is  known  how 
fearfully  a  little  pestilential  poison,  or  cholera 
poison  may  react  among  the  ranks  of  the  living. 
And  yet  the  Israelites  should  bury  their  dead 
with  sympathy  and  honorably.  Hence  only  the 
high-priests  and  the  Nazirites  were  uncondition- 
ally restrained  from  burials,  the  ordinary  priest 
to  a  limited  extent,  the  rest  of  the  people  not  at 
all.  Rather  it  is  assumed  that,  according  to  the 
law  of  love,  defilements  must  be  unavoidable  and 
occur  frequently,  so  that  the  exaction  of  purifi- 
cation can  only  be  met  by  a  general  means  of 
purifying.  Hence  this  means  is  called  a  fixed 
statute.  Thus  a  pure  life  is  assured,  and  also 
provision  is  made  for  the  promptings  of  huma- 
nity, and  the  red  heifer  (as  in  the  case  of  the 
jealousy-offering)  is  an  evidence  of  a  marvelous, 
deep  penetration  of  the  theocratic  spirit.  It  is  a 
monument  of  divine  wisdom  in  the  removal  of 
apparent  collisions  within  the  law  or  in  duty. 

A'ers.  1,  2.  The  Red  Heifer.  — "  This  is 
n^ii^n  npn  a  statute  of  i?istruction.  This  com- 
bination of  the  two  words  commonly  used  for  law 
and  statute,  is  probably  intended  to  give  em- 
phasis to  the  design  of  the  law  about  to  be  given, 
to  point  it  out  as  one  of  great  importance,  but 
not  as  a  decrelum  absque  ulla  ratione,  as  the  Rab- 
bins suppose,"  Keil.  We  would  read  :  an  or- 
dinance for  securing  the  Torafa.  Without  this 
expedient,  for  instance,  the  law  of  purification 
would  have  occasioned  endless  ofi'euces  on  the 
right  hand  and  on  the  left.  The  cow,  oafxaXig, 
juvenca,  must  be  red,  free  from  blemish,  not  yet 
subjected  to  the  yoke ;  all  traits  of  the  freshest 
life.  Concerning  no^ori  see  Keil,  [who  says 
that  "iTDlX,   '  of  a   red  color,'   is  not  to  be  con- 

nected  with  H^'On  in  the  sense  of  "  quite  red," 
as  the  Rabbins  interpret  it ;  but  nD''Dr\,  integra, 
is  to  be  taken  by  itself,  and  the  words  which  fol- 
low, '■wherein  is  no  blemish,''  to  be  regarded  as 
defining  it  still  more  precisely." — Tb.].  But  it 
may  be  questioned  whether  the  Rabbins  are  not 
right  in  this  instance. 

«'  The  sacrificial  beast  must  not  be  a  bullock, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  usual  sin-off'erings  of  the 
congregation  (Lev.  iv.  14),  but  a  female  beast, 
because  the  female  sex  is  the  one  that  bears  ofif- 
spring."  Much  more  likely,  because  the  purifi- 
cation was  always  to  be  applied  only  to  a  certain 
'*  number  of  persons  of  tlie  nation"  (Knobel), 
as  indeed  also  the  sins  of  individuals  were  expi- 
ated by  a  female  sacrificial  beast  (Lev.  iv.  27). 
Moreover,  in  this  case,  it  is  not  a  major  trespass 
that  is  ,'xpiated,  but  a  collective  expiation  is  in- 
stituted, that  shall  constitute  a  substitute  for 
expiations  of  the  individual  defilements  (Lev.  v. 
6)  Hence  one  may  not  say,  the  slaughter  of  the 
heifer  is  called,  vers.  9,  17,  a  sin-oft'ering,  "in 
order  to  remind  the  congregation  that  death  is 
the  wages  of  sin."  Of  course  all  sacrifices  served 
that  purpose  in  various  senses;  but  here  the 
beast  is  called  sin-oifering,  because,  as  general 
sin-offering,  it  was  to  comprehend  all  individual 
sin-offerings  with  reference  to  defilement  by 
corpses,  "  The  antidote  against  the  defilement 
of  death  (!)  should  be  taken  from  a  sin-oflFering." 


It  would  be  nearer  the  mark  to  say  :  death  was 
to  be  put  to  death  by  this  death  of  the  most  per- 
fect blooming  life  ;  but  what  is  spoken  of  here 
is  an  antidote  against  the  efi^ect  of  corpses.  An 
elixir  of  life  is  prepared  from  the  ashes  of  the 
most  beautiful  form  of  life,  that  is  to  deprive  of 
its  power  the  defiling  (noxious)  eflFects  of  the 
form  of  death,  of  the  corpse.  "  Of  a  red  color, 
not  because  the  blood-red  points  to  sin  (Henq- 
STENBERG,  foUowing  the  Rabbins  and  earlier 
theologians),  but  as  the  color  of  the  most  intense 
life,  that  has  its  seat  in  the  blood,  and  appears 
in  the  redness  of  the  face  (the  cheeks,  lips) 
(Baehr,  Kurtz,  Leyrer,  et  al.),"  Keil. 

Vers.  3-10.  The  preparation  of  the  water 
of  purification. — In  this  business  as  in  xvii.  1, 
Eleazer  must  take  the  place  of  his  father,  since 
the  latter,  as  high-priest,  must  keep  away  from 
everything  connected  with  corpses,  although  the 
high-priest  himself  administered  the  sin  oflFering 
of  a  general  sort  (Lev.  iv.  16).  Moreover  the 
whole  act  must  be  performed  outside  of  the 
camp,  for  the  heifer  is  originally  no  sacrifice, 
but  only  the  young,  fresh  blood  is  made  a  sub- 
stitute for  many  sacrifices.  And  one  shall 
bring  her  forth,  etc.  The  leading  out  and  the 
slaugbtering  of  the  beast  was  to  be  attended  to 
by  any  one,  not  by  the  priest.  Sprinkle  of 
her  blood  seven  times,  etc.  (as  in  Lev.  iv.  17) ; 
this  the  priest  did,  and  with  that  what  was 
slaughtered  was  a  sin-offering,  distinct  from  a 
curse-oflFering,  incorporated  in  the  sphere  of  sa- 
crifices. It  is  a  new  feature  here,  that  a  sprink- 
ling of  blood  toward  the  front  of  the  Tabernacle 
from  a  distance,  should  avail  the  same  as  a 
sprinkling  inside  of  the  fore-court.  All  aspira- 
tions after  the  true  life,  even  outside  of  the  Theoc- 
racy and  the  Church,  tend  to  Jehovah,  and  are 
accepted  of  Him.  According  to  Keil,  "the, vic- 
tim was  to  represent  those  members  of  the  con- 
gregation who  had  fallen  victims  to  temporal 
death  as  the  wages  of  sin,  and  as  such  were 
peparated  from  the  earthly  Theocracy."  This 
would  be  more  according  to  1  Pet.  iii.,  iv.,  than 
one  could  demand  from  the  Old  Testament:  but 
corpses  are  what  are  spoken  of  here,  and  not 
death.  The  dead  person  is  purified  from  his 
corpse.  After  the  sprinkling,  the  entire  heifer 
is  bumf,  all  the  ingredients  of  this  fresh  life 
turn  to  ashes,  ver.  5.  Does  not  this  mean:  all 
perishableness  of  earthly  life  serves,  in  the  fire 
of  God's  government,  to  abolish  the  curse  of 
perishableness  ?  Here  with  the  rest  is  consumed 
the  life  of  the  life,  the  blood;  along  with  the 
rest  are  burned  the  symbolical  attributes  of  life, 
cedar-V70od  as  macrobiotic  life  [longevity], 
hyssop  as  life  renewed  by  purification  ;  soar- 
let  -wool  as  the  transit  of  the  life  through  the 
blood,  all  which  constitutes  a  concentration 
toward  imperishable  life,  the  sublime  life.  The 
persons  that  perform  this  ceremony,  the  priest, 
the  burner,  the  gatherer  of  the  ashes,  have  be- 
come unclean,  but  only  for  one  day,  because 
they  have  performed  an  act  of  purification  with- 
out the  camp;  Knobel  says:  "because  they 
acted  for  those  that  were  unclean;"  Keil:  the 
uncleanness  of  sin  and  of  death  had  passed  over 
to  the  sin-oflFering.  One  cannot  so  explain  in 
this  way  the  words:  he  that  toucheth  the 
water  of  purification  shall   be   unclean    until 


CHAP.  XX.  1-13, 


101 


even,  ver.  21 ;  even  the  water  for  sprinkling 
rendered  any  one  unclean  that  touched  it,  al- 
though a8  means  of  purification  it  was  pure. 
He  is  unclean,  even  if  he  was  not  unclean,  in  so 

far  as  he  is  subjected  to  the  rite  of  purification. 
The  precious  material  of  the  ashes  is  treasured 
up  in  a  clean  place,  but,  which  is  very  remark- 
able, outside  the  camp.  A  confession  that  the 
Levitical  cultus  in  itself  cannot  annul  the  effects 
of  death. 

Vers.  11-13.  The  use.  Whoever  has  become 
defiled  from  a  corpse  is  unclean  seven  days.  He 
must  purify  himself  by  an  absolution  (done  by 
sprinkling)  on  the  third  and  seventh  day.  In 
case  he  omits  to  do  this,  he  defiles  the  dwelling 
of  Jehovah  and  incurs  the  penalty  of  death. 

Vers.  14-22.  Nearer  definitions:  presence 
in  or  entrance  into  a  tent  of  one  dead  defiles. 
Every  vessel  in  the  tent  not  closed  by  a  cord 
becomes  unclean.  Any  one  that  touches  a  dead 
person  in  the  field,  or  a  bone,  or  even  a  grave. 
In  each  case  a  portion  of  ashes  is  combined  with 
living  water  and  made  into  water  for  sprinkling. 
It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  no  priest,  no  Levite 
is  necessary,  only  a  man  that  is  clean  is  requi- 
site to  sprinkle  the  tent,  the  vessels,  the  defiled 
men.  Free  as  this  form  was,  its  observance  was 
to  be  correspondingly  strict.     The  penalty  of 


non-performance,  which  had  as  its  eflfect  the 
defilement  of  the  Sanctuary,  was  death.  More- 
over, the  man  that  accomplished  the  purification 
became  unclean  till  evening;  not  less  did  every 
one  and  everything  whom  the  unclean  person 
touched  become  unclean  till  evening.  This  in 
legal  form  is  the  expression  of  the  reminder  of 
an  unspotted  and  imperishable  life.  In  a  sym- 
bolical sense,  then,  the  endeavor  after  complete 
purity  of  life  is  a  statute  for  all  time.  The  first 
sprinkling  occurs  on  the  third  day,  for  the  puri- 
fication must  proceed  from  the  spirit;  the  second 
on  the  seventh  day,  on  the  day  of  the  Sabbath 
number,  of  completed  work  of  purification  until 
the  celebration  of  purity. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  xix.  The  water  of  sprinkling.  The 
blessing  of  the  most  blooming  life  should  deprive 
of  its  power  the  defiling  intercourse  witli  the 
world  of  the  dead,  with  corpses.  The  adjust- 
ment between  piety  toward  the  dead  and  care 
for  the  living.  Once  again :  let  one  carefully 
discriminate  between  death  itself  and  the  bones 
of  the  dead,  corpses.  Ashes  and  water,  two 
combined  factors  of  the  purifying  preservation 
of  life,  emblems  of  all  disinfection  in  the  sim- 
plest fundamental  form. 


SEVENTH    SECTION. 


Retrospect  of  the  Settlement  in  Kadesh  Miriam's  Death.  The  Great  Mortality. 
The  Destiny  of  Moses  and  Aaron  to  die  in  the  Desert  on  Account  of  their 
Offence  at  Meribah. 

Chapter  XX.  1-13. 

1  "Then  came  the  children  of  Israel,  even  the  whole  congregation,  into  the  desert 
of  Zin  in  the  first  month :  and  the  people  abode  in  Kadesh ;  and  Miriam  died 

2  there,  and  was  buried  there.     And  there  was  no  water  for  the  congregation :  and 

3  they  gathered  themselves  together  against  Moses  and  against  Aaron.     And  the 
■    people  chode  with  Moses,  and  spake,  saying,  Would  ''God  that  we  had  "died  when 

4  our  brethren  "died  before  the  Lord  !  And  why  have  ye  brought  up  the  "^congre- 
gation  of  the  Lord  into  this  wilderness,  that  we  and  our  cattle  should  die  there  ? 

5  And  wherefore  have  ye  made  us  to  come  up  out  of  Egypt,  to  bring  us  in  unto  this 
evil  place  ?  it  ts  no  place  of  seed,  or  of  figs,  or  of  vines,  or  of  pomegranates ;  neither 

6  is  there  any  water  to  drink.  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  from  the  presence  of 
the  assembly  unto  the  door  of  the  ^tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  they  fell 
upon  their  faces :  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  them. 

7,  8  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Take  the  rod,  and  gather  thou  the 
^assembly  together,  thou  and  Aaron  thy  brother,  and  speak  ye  unto  the  rock  before 
their  eyes ;  and  it  shall  give  forth  his  water,  and  thou  shalt  bring  forth  to  them 

.    water  out  of  the  rock  ;  so  thou  shalt  give  the  congregation  and  their  beasts  drink. 

■  9,  10  And  Moses  took  the  rod  from  before  the  Lord,  as  he  commanded  him.     And 

Moses  and  Aaron  gathered  the  ^congregation  together  before  the  rock,  and  he  said 

unto  them,  Hear  now,  ye  rebels;  ^must  we  fetch  you  water  out  of  this  rock? 


102 


NUMBERS. 


11  And  Moses  lifted  up  his  hand,  and  Avith  his  rod  he  smote  the  rock  twice :  and  the 
■water  came  out  abundantly,  and  the  congregation  drank,  and  their  beasts  also. 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  Aaron,  Because  ye  believed  me  not,  to 
sanctity  me  m  the  eyes  of  the  children  of  Israel,  therefore  ye  shall  not  bring  this 
•^congregation  into  the  land  which  I  have  given  them.  This  is  the  water  of  ^Meri- 
bah ;  "because  the  children  of  Israel  'strove  with  the  Lord,  and  he  was  sanctified 
in  them. 


12 
13 


1  That  is,  strife. 

»  And. 

•  Tent  of  Meeting 


*>  omit  God. 
f  congregation. 


«  perished, 
i  shall. 


*  assembly. 
•>  where. 


'  chode. 


EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 

Our  text  has  become  the  knotty  point  of  the 
greatest  misunderstandings.  Usually  it  is  un- 
derstood as  follows.  The  children  of  Israel 
came  once  again  to  Kadesh  in  the  first  month 
of  the  fortieth  year.  And  after  that,  all  thess 
things  took  place  that  are  related  afterwards. 
The  most  positive  facts  speak  against  this  fixed 
assumption.  First,  the  clear  testimony  of  Deut. 
i.  Second,  the  history  of  the  water  of  strife. 
That  is  to  say,  had  the  Israelites  made  them- 
selves familiar  with  the  neighborhood  of  Kadesh- 
Barnea,  then  they  would  have  known  also  its 
water-springs ;  but  according  to  our  passage, 
they  have  hardly  more  than  arrived  in  the  desert 
of  Zin,  and  have  as  yet  found  no  springs  in  it. 
Third,  the  people  strove  -with  Moses  say- 
ing :  Would  that  -we  had  perished  when 
our  brethren  perished  before  the  Lord. 
After  forty  years  they  could  not  have  spoken  of 
brothers  that  had  perished,  but  only  of  fathers. 
Almost  the  whole  generation  of  the  fathers  was 
now  buried.  They  do  not  even  seem  to  have 
experienced  as  yet  the  rebellion  of  Korah,  for 
Keil  justly  remarks:  "by  that  they  do  not 
mean  the  rebellion  of  Korah  (Knobel),  for 
whose    destruction  J^IJ,   exspirare,   is    no   fitting 

expression,  but  those  that  died  gradually  during 
the  thirty-eight  years."  The  rest  of  their  com- 
plaint, also,  agrees  better  with  the  beginning 
of  their  sojourn  in  the  desert  than  with  a  period 
when  they  had  long  since  accustomed  themselves 
to  the  steppe.  According  to  the  internal  rela- 
tions, the  murmuring  at  the  want  of  water  con- 
nects very  simply  with  the  murmuring  at  the 
want  of  bread  or  food  at  the  Graves  of  Lust 
(xi.).  and  falls  in  the  period  of  the  settlement 
in  the  desert  of  Paran,  xii.  16. 

Accordingly  we  assume,  that  the  beginning 
of  chap.  XX.  is  to  be  understood  as  pluperfect. 
No-w  the  children  of  Israel  had  come,  i.  e. 
the  liost  of  God  with  the  wliole  congregation, 
into  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  and  the  peo- 
ple encamped  at  Kadesh.  More  definitely 
the  chronological  order  was  as  follows.  On  the 
20th  day  of  the  second  month  of  (he  second  year 
(of  the  Exodus)  the  Israelites  departed  from 
Sinai  (x.  11).  Since  then  about  a  year  has 
elapsed  until  the  settlement  in  Paran,  or  till 
the  first  month  of  which  our  chapter  speaks,  by 
which,  therefore,  is  to  be  understood  the  third 
year,  because  the  sentence  of  a  forty  years' 
abode  in  the  wilderness  cannot  well  be  set  at  a 
later  period.  Moreover,  it  must  not  be  left 
unnoticed,  that  already  after  the  meeting  of  the 


people,  chap,  xiv.,  it  is  said:  only  .Joshua  and 
Caleb  shall  enter  the  land  of  Canaan,  so  that  we 
must  suppose  that  Moses  and  Aaron  had  already 
received  their  sentence.  It  may  be  further 
added,  that  a  failure  on  the  part  of  the  great 
man  of  God  more  probably  occurred  in  the  first 
years  of  his  course  than  at  the  close,  when  he 
was  so  near  his  goal. 

The  motive  for  the  chronological  displacement 
of  our  history,  as  was  already  intimated,  was 
to  combine  in  one  account  the  fates  of  these  two 
brothers  and  their  sister. 

A  return  of  the  story  to  an  older  history  ap- 
pears to  be  presented  also  in  the  section  xxi. 
1-3.  The  account  of  the  defeat  of  Israel  there 
related  is  the  old  story  of  the  unsuccessful  raid 
into  the  south  of  Canaan  (xiv.  40-45).  It  is 
resumed  again  in  this  place  on  account  of  the 
vow  that  Israel  made  at  that  time,  and  now  ful- 
fils, of  which  we  will  treat  further  on.  Also 
according  to  Knobel's  way  of  seeing  the  matter, 
the  text  not  only  speaks  of  two  periods  of  abode 
in  Kadesh,  but  also  according  to  "  the  Jehovistic 
document"  of  a  single  abode  there  (p.  103}. 
"The  old  register  of  encampments  likewise  re- 
cognizes only  one  abode  in  Kadesh." 

[On  the  view  that  there  was  only  one  abode 
in  Kadesh,  and  that  the  host  arrived  there  not 
earlier  than  in  the  third  year  of  the  Exodus,  and 
possibly  later,  see  Tr.'s  note  at  the  end  of  chap, 
xiv.  Dr.  Lange's  appeal  to  Deut.  i.  is  an  argu- 
ment that  deserves  more  amplification.  The 
language  of  ver.  19,  particularly:  "We  went 
through  all  that  great  and  terrible  wilderness," 
implies  a  longer  journey  and  more  varied  expe- 
rience than  could  be  compressed  into  eighty 
days  or  so.  The  same  may  be  said  of  ver.  33, 
which,  compared  with  Num.  ix.  15-23,  seems  to 
refer  to  the  wanderings  from  Sinai  to  Kadesh. 
— Tr.] 

Ver.  1.  On  the  desert  of  Zin  and  Kadesh- 
Barnea,  see  above  at  xii.  16.  On  Kadesh  see 
ali^o  the  article  in  Gesenius.  According  to 
Keil  and  the  common  view,  the  first  month 
falls  in  the  fortieth  year  of  the  Exodus.  A  dif- 
ficulty of  that  view  is  presented  in  the  inquiry: 
Why  is  nothing  said  of  the  want  of  water  during 
the  first  stay  at  Kadesh,  whereas  it  is  spoken  of 
in  reference  to  the  second? 

Ver.  4.  The  displeasure  at  the  want  of  water 
again  excites  the  imagination  of  the  malcon- 
tents about  the  deficiencies  of  the  desert  in 
general. 

Ver.  6.  Moses  and  Aaron  prostrate  themselves 
helplessly  at  the  door  of  the  Tabernacle.  To 
this  holy  helplessness  and  surrender,  one  might 
say,   there  corresponds   here,   too,  a  wondrous 


CHAP.  XX.  1-13. 


103 


exaltation.  The  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  to 
them.  Let  us  here  call  to  mind  once  more  how 
near  to  one  another  are  the  notions,  the  appear- 
ing of  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and  the  appearing 
of  the  Angel  of  the  Lord. 

Ver.  7.  The  instruction  Jehovah  gives  is  very 
diflFerent  from  the  instruction  at  Rephidim  (Ex. 
xvii.  5).  On  that  occasion  of  drought  stronger 
means  were  used  for  the  miracle.  Moses  with 
some  of  the  elders  had  to  go  off  away  from  the 
people;  here  he  was  to  take  a  stand  opposite 
the  rock  with  all  the  elders  and  the  whole  con- 
gregation. There  he  had  to  smite  the  rock  with 
his  staff;  but  here  Moses  and  Aaron  were  sim- 
ply to  speak  to  the  rock,  i.  e,  in  a  symbolical 
sense  command  the  rock,  though  he  was  pro- 
vided with  the  rod  in  his  hand.  The  help  was 
to  be  miraculously  near,  as  it  was  often  prepared 
for  the  discoverers  of  springs  in  sacred  history. 
Jehovah's  directions,  therefore,  demand  of  the 
prophet  the  most  decided  confidence  and  com- 
posure of  spirit. 

Ver.  9.  He  took  the  staff  from  before 
Jehovah.  Does  that  mean :  the  staff  had 
been  deposited  in  the  sanctuary?  It  was  the 
miraculous  rod  that  he  had  in  his  hand  when 
he  received  commissions  from  Jehovah. 

Vers.  10,  11.  Wherein  consisted  Moses'  sin, 
in  which,  as  one  must  suppose,  Aaron  too  was 
involved  as  regarded  feeling  ?  Absolute  unbe- 
lief cannot  be  meant;  otherwise  it  is  impossible 
that  Moses  would  have  smote  the  rock.  For  it 
is  utterly  inconceivable  that  he  acted  so  in 
superstitious  reliance  on  the  magical  effect  of 
his  staff.  Jehovah's  reproof  intimates  what  was 
the  offence:  Ye  have  not  unconditionally  believed 
and  obeyed  me  in  a  way  to  prove  thereby  to  the 
children  of  Israel  that  I  am  the  Holy  One.  The 
bestowal  of  water  should  have  borne  the  charac- 
ter of  extreme  facility  and  manifested  thereby  the 
majesty  of  the  personal  Jehovah  in  His  omnipo- 
tence and  condescension.  To  His  people,  de- 
spairing from  thirst,  Jehovah  would  grant,  of 
free  grace  and  without  reproach,  the  miraculous 
fountain.  Moses,  on  the  contrary,  did  not  let 
himself  be  freed  from  his  indignation  at  the 
people  by  the  sight  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord. 
His  address  to  the  people  reproaches  them  as 


rebels,  and  expresses  not  so  much  a  real  doubt 
about  the  approaching  grant,  as  a  contempt  for 
the  "  mutinous "  nation  that  really  was  not 
worth  being  helped,  especially  by  such  a  divine 
miracle  :  water  from  the  rock.  Then  he  smites 
twice  on  the  rock,  instead  of  simply  speaking  to 
it,  with  a  displeasure  that  really  wanted  to 
smite  the  people.  This  disobedience  as  to  form 
also  comes  in  for  consideration,  but  is  not  the 
chief  thing  in  itself.  Yet  there  is  reflected  in  it 
a  feeling  of  disgust,  of  fleshly  zeal,  by  wliich, 
as  the  representative  of  Jehovah,  he  obscures 
and  distorts  to  the  people  the  image  of  Jehovah 
Himself.  How  many  zealots  act  just  so  in  the 
most  glaring  way,  yet  suppose  that  in  that  way 
they  glorify  God  before  His  people !  Let  it  be 
noted,  that  it  was  only  on  account  of  this  trait 
of  fanatical  excitement  of  the  two  men,  by  which 
they  embittered  a  great  gift  of  free  compassion, 
an  hour  of  pure  grace,  that  entrance  into  the 
earthly  Canaan,  i.  e.  the  ideal  completion  of  their 
task  was  denied  them. 

According  to  Ps.  cvi.  33,  a  chief  stress  is  laid 
on  the  inconsiderate  words  of  Moses,  that  plainly 
betrayed  his  troubled,  exasperated  feeling. 
Concerning  the  fable,  falsely  ascribed  to  the 
Rabbins,  that  the  rock  followed  the  Israelites 
from  Rephidim  to  Kadesh,  see  the  note  of  Keil 
in  loc.  The  symbolical  side  of  the  underlying 
history  is  brought  out  in  1  Cor.  x.  4.  Concern- 
ing the  rock-fountain  at  Rephidim,  and  also 
concerning  the  identification  of  the  events,  see 
the  Biblew.  comm.  on  Exod.  xvii.  1,  p.  65.  Also 
Keil  on  Exod.  xvii.  1. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Chap.  XX.  1-13.  The  water  of  strife  and  the 
impatience  of  Moses.  The  impatience  of  Moses 
as  the  final  explosion  of  a  displeasure  again  and 
again  restrained  and  subdued  through  many 
years,  hence  not  without  connection  with  his 
seemingly  too  early  death  (see  Ps.  xc).  Here, 
therefore,  was  verified  the  Old  Testament  say- 
ing: "  The  zeal  of  thine  house  hath  eaten  me 
up."  Still  this  fate  of  death  also  was  finally  a 
mercy,  and  not  less  a  miracle  of  wisdom.  Th« 
death  of  th«  great  brothers  and  sister. 


104  NUMBERS. 


FOURTH    DIVISION. 

FKOM  KADESH  ONWARD.    FROM  THE  DEPARTURE  TO  THE  SETTLEMENT  IN 

THE  PLAINS  OF  MOAB. 

Chap.  XX.  14— XXII.  1. 

FIRST  SECTION. 

Prom  Kadesh  to  Mount  Hor  (Chapter  XX.  14— XXI.  3).  The  King  of  Edom.  The 
refusal  of  the  request  for  a  passage.  The  death  of  Aaron  at  Mount  Hor.  The 
expedition  against  the  king  of  Arad. 

A.— THE  KING  OF  EDOM.     THE  REFUSAL  OF  A  PASSAGE. 
Chapter  XX.   14— XXI.  3. 

14  And  Moses  sent  messengers  from  Kadesh  unto  the  king  of  Edom,  Thus  saith  thy 

15  brother  Israel,  Thou  knowest  all  the  travail  that  hath  ^befallen  us:  How  our 
fathers  went  down  into  Egypt,  and  we  have  dwelt  in  Egypt  a  long  time ;  and  the 

16  Egyptians  vexed  us,  and  our  fathers :  And  when  we  cried  unto  the  Lord,  he  heard 
our  voice,  and  sent  an  angel,  and  hath  brought  us  forth  out  of  Egypt :  and,  behold, 

17  we  are  in  Kadesh,  a  city  in  the  uttermost  of  thy  border.  Let  us  pass,  I  pray  thee, 
through  thy  country  :  we  will  not  pass  through  the  fields,  or  through  the  vineyards, 
neither  will  we  drink  of  the  water  of  the  wells :  we  will  go  by  the  king's  high  way, 
we  will  not  turn  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left,  until  we  have  passed  thy  borders. 

18  And  Edom  said  unto  him.  Thou  shalt  not  pass  by  me,  lest  I  come  out  against  thee 

19  with  the  sword.  And  the  children  of  Israel  said  unto  him,  We  will  go  by  the  high 
way  :  and  if  I  and  my  cattle  drink  of  thy  water,  then  I  will  pay  for  it :  I  will  only, 

20  without  doing  any  thing  else,  go  through  on  my  feet.  And  he  said.  Thou  shalt  not 
go  through.     And  Edom  came  out  against  him  with  much  people,  and  with  a  strong 

21  hand.  Thus  Edom  refused  to  give  Israel  passage  through  his  border  :  wherefore 
Israel  turned  away  from  him. 

B.— THE  DEATH  OF  AARON  AT  MOUNT  HOR.  Vers.  22-29. 

22  And  the  children  of  Israel,  eveii  the  whole  congregation,  journeyed  from  Kadesh, 

23  and  came  unto  mount  Hor.     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  Aaron  in  mount 

24  Hor,  by  the  coast  of  the  land  of  Edom,  saying,  Aaron  shall  be  gathered  unto  his 
people:  for  }ie  shall  not  enter  into  the  land  which  I  have  given  unto  the  children 

25  of  Israel,  because  ye  rebelled  against  my  word  at  the  water  of  Meribah.     Take 

26  Aaron  and  Eleazar  his  son,  and  bring  them  up  unto  mount  Hor  :  And  strip  Aaron 
of  his  garments,  and  put  them  upon  Eleazar  his  son :  and  Aaron  shall  be  gathered 

27  unto  his  people,  and  shall  die  there.     And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  commanded  :  and 

28  they  went  up  into  mount  Hor  in  the  sight  of  all  the  congregation.  And  Moses 
stripped  Aaron  of  his  garments,  and  put  them  upon  Eleazar  his  son  ;  and  Aaron 
died  there  in  the  top  of  the  mount :  and  Moses  and  Eleazar  came  down  from  the 

29  mount.  And  when  all  the  congregation  saw  that  Aaron  was  dead,  they  mourned 
for  Aaron  thirty  days,  even  all  the  house  of  Israel. 

C— THE  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  THE  KING  OF  ARAD.    Chap.  XXI.  1-3. 

1  And  when  king  Arad  the  Canaanite,  which  dwelt  in  the  south,  heard  tell  that 
Israel  came  by  the  way  of  the  spies  ;  then  he  fought  against  Israel,  and  took  some 

2  of  them  prisoners.     And  Israel  vowed  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,  and  said.  If  thou  wilt 
indeed  deliver  this  people  into  my  hand,  then  I  will  utterly  destroy  their  cities. 


CHAP.  XX.  14— XXI.  3. 


105 


And  the  Lord  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  Israel,  and  delivered  up  the  Canaanites ; 
and  they  utterly  destroyed  them  and  their  cities :  and  he  called  the  name  of  the 
place  Hormah. 


Marg.  found  us. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.'l*.  [The  travail.    De  Wette  :  hardship.    Bunsen  :  calamity,  sorroiii]. 
Ver.  15.  [Heb.,  treat  ill,  afflict.— A.  G.]. 

Ver.  19.  n\'Dn3  a  raised  road.    Causeway  used  by  the  king  for  military  purposes. 

Ver.  19.  [Surely  it  is  nothing.    See  Exeget.  Note,  and  comp.  Gen.  xx.  11.— A.  G.]. 

Ver.  20.  Lange  ;  mighty.     E.  V.  :  better. 

Ver.  24.  Lit.  mouth. 

Ver.  29.  [Omit  when  ;  insert  and  before  they. — A.  G.]. 

Ver.  1.  [Lange:  The  Canaanite,  king  of  Arad. — A.  G.]. 

Ver.  1.  [Lange:  Way  of  Atharim.  But  there  are  no  traces  of  any  place  bearing  this  name.  The  etymology 
is  in  favor  of  the  rendering  in  our  version ;  and  the  allusion  to  the  tracks  in  places  of  the  spies  would  be  natural 
to  one  writing  to  Hebrew  readers. — A.  G.]. 

Ver.  2.  Put  or  bring  them  under  a  ban.    Hence  the  name  of  the  place  Hormah  :  ban. 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 

A.    The  King  of  Edom.    Chap.  xx.  14-21. 
Israel  had  made   the  fruitless   efi'ort  to   pene- 
trate the  south  of  Canaan  from  the  northern  part 
of  the  Arabian  desert,  and  indeed  directly  from 
Kadesh-Barnea  (chap.  xiv.  40  etseg.).    They  had, 
after  their  despondent  outbreak  and  rebellion, 
and  before  the  failure  in  their  attempt,  received 
direction  to  proceed  by  another  way — by  the  way 
of  the  Red  Sea,  chap.   xiv.    25.     The   idea  that 
avoiding  the  difficult  southern  border  of  Pales- 
tine, they  should   turn  to  the  east,  lay  enclosed 
in  this  direction.     But  the  idea  was  not  fruitful, 
and  the  undertaking  was  delayed  until  near  the 
close  of  the  forty  years.     The  literal  interpreta- 
tion of  this  passage,  as  also  of  the  words  chap, 
xiv.  1,  has  led  to  those  long  lines  upon  the  maps 
which  were  supposed  to   indicate  the  march  of 
the  Israelites   from   Kadesh-Barnea  to   the   Red 
Sea,  and  then  from  the  Red  Sea  back  again  to 
Kadesh,  with  the  purpose  of  immediately  return- 
ing again  to  the  Red  Sea.     It  is  another  thing 
entirely,  if  we  suppose  that  from  their  settlement 
at  Kadesh-Barnea,  they  migrated  in  all  directions 
seeking    pasturage  for  their   herds.*     But  now 
the  lapse  of  time  itself  warns  them  to  depart. 
Two    routes  lie   open  to   them  ;    the   one   direct 
through  the  land  of  the  Edomites,  the  other  long 
and  circuitous,  stretching  around  and  eastward 
of  Edom.     Even  the  first  route  would  have  led 
them,  at  least  in  their  departure,  in  the  direction 
of  the  Red  Sea,  especially  if  they  wished  to  pass 
at  a  distance  from  the  capital,  Petra.     The  land 
of  the  Edomites  was  the  mountain  region  east  of 
the  Arabah  (in  its  restricted  meaning)  or  of  the 

*  [The  repetition  of  the  words  "  the  whole  congrega- 
tion," vers.  1  and  25,  seems  to  imply  that  the  congrega- 
tion had  been  partially  broken  up  during  the  long  years 
of  the  wandering.  The  tabernacle  formed  the  centre 
around  which  all  clustered,  and  to  which  smaller  or 
larger  portions  of  the  congregation  may  have  returned 
from  tim<i  to  time.  But  now  the  "whole  congregation" 
was  gathered.  A  call  from  their  great  leader,  or  a  com- 
mon impression  that  some  great  event  was  at  hand,  led 
the  scattered  hosts  to  seek  the  place  where  the  Taber- 
nacle, the  Tent  of  Meeting  was  pitched.  Modern 
travellers  find  the  same  thing  true,  with  the  great 
Bedouin  tribes  in  our  daj' ;  a  central  camp  at  which  the 
chief  resides  and  sections  of  the  tribe  scattered  in  all 
directions  seeking  sustenance  for  their  large  flocks  and 
herds. — A.  G.]. 


deep  depression  between  the  Dead   Sea,  and  the 
Ailanitic  gulf  of  the  Red  Sea,  including  also  the 
Arabah  itself.     When  Knobel  says  that  it  ex- 
tends also  some  distance  to  the  west  of  the  Ara- 
bah, this  could  only  have  been  true  east  of  Ka- 
desh-Barnea, for  otherwise  the  Israelites  would 
have  had  to  pass  through  Edomitish   territory, 
as  they  moved  toward   the  Red   Sea.*     Kadesh 
certainly  (chap.  xx.  16)  lay  upon  the  border  of 
Edom.     Mount  Hor,  too,  (chap.  xx.  23)  to  which 
they  came  first  after  their  departure,  was  by  the 
coasts  or  borders  of  Edom.     But  in  the   way  to 
the   Red  Sea,    they  might  pass   almost   entirely 
around  the  land  of  Edom,  if  a  peaceable  passage 
through  it  was  refused  them.     Even  then,  how- 
ever, they  must  have  crossed   the  boundaries  of 
Edom  according  to  Dent.  ii.  1.     Israel  was  com- 
manded to  respect  the   tribal  relationship  with 
Edom,  as  also  with  Moab  and  Ammon  (Dent.  ii. 
•  9  et  seq. ;  comp.  Jud.  xi.  17).     Moses  therefore 
sought   by  a  warm  and  friendly  message  to   se- 
cure from  the  king  of  Edom  a  free  passage  through 
his   land.     But   in  the  face  of  every  guarantee 
which  he  offered,  he  received  only  a  harsh  and 
surly  reply.     Further  pacific  proposals  were  fol- 
lowed by  harsher  threats,   and   a  warlike  arma- 
ment against  Israel  trod,   as   it  were,   upon  the 
heels  of  the  returning  messenger.     This  is  the 
starting  point  in  the  history  of  the  treacherous 
brother  who  appears  a  foe  by  the  side  of  Israel 
down  to  the  final  destruction  of  Jerusalem.     The 
passage  in  Judges   already  referred  to,  indicates 
that  the  message  to  Edom  and  Moab  must  have 
preceded  by  some  time  the  departure  for  the  Red 
Sea.    [It  is  clear  from  xx.  1  compared  with  xxxiii. 
38,   that  the   Israelites   must  have  remained  in 
Kadesh  several  months.     The  message  was  pro- 
bably sent  soon  after  the  congregation  had  ga- 
thered; and   the   delay   was   occasioned  by  the 
refusal,  and    the  necessary  preparations  for  the 
long  and  circuitous  march  before  them.     It  could 
not  have  arisen,  as    the    Bible    Com.   suggests, 
from  a  purpose  to  invade  Canaan  again  from  this 

*  For  the  Arabah  see  commentary  on  Joshua,  chap- 
XV.  1-3.  [Also  Stanley,  /Sinai  and  Palefitine, Appendix,  p- 
481.  KoNBEL  refers  to  ver.  23,  chap,  xxxiii.  37 ;  Josh,  xv- 
1-3,  as  sustaining  his  view.  It  might  easily  occur,  too, 
that  the  Edomites  could  defend  successfully  the  steep 
mountain  passes,  and  yet  not  prevent  the  Israelites  from 
crossing  their  territory  which  lay  in  the  Arabah  or  on 
its  western  skirts. — A.  G.]. 


106 


NUMBERS. 


quarter  when  existing  obstacles  should  be  re- 
moved. The  lesson  of  the  thirty-eight  years  had 
not  been  lost,  and  they  were  not  prepared  to 
brave  so  difBcult  a  position  (see  [Keil  below) 
after  the  earlier  and  sigual  failure. — A.  G.]. 

Vers,  14—16.  We  can  scarcely  agree  with  Keil 
that  the  steep  lofty  raountain  range  presented  an 
obstacle,  difficult  to  be  overcome  if  not  actually 
insurmountable,  to  an  entrance  into  Canaan  from 
the  south.  The  Scriptures  give  a  very  different 
reason.  [But  the  Scripture,  while  attributing  the 
defeat  of  the  Israelites  to  the  fact  that  the  Lord 
was  not  among  them,  nowhere  says  or  implies 
that  the  natural  obstacle  did  not  exist. — A.  G.]. 
The  invasion  from  the  east  had  this  additional 
advantage,  that  it  would  divide  the  power  of  Ca- 
naan into  two  parts.  As  to  the  Angel,  Knobel 
himself  understands,  but  not  the  writer  as  he 
infers,  by  it  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire ;  the  har- 
mony of  both  ideas  never  occurred  to  him,  in 
his  eager  hunt  for  contradictions. 

Ver.  17.  We  -will  not  pass  through  the 
fields  or  through  the  vineyards,  i.  e.,  not 
wander  about  in  bye-paths  [or  rather  will  guard 
against  any  careless  or  straggling  march].  The 
king's  road  was  the  public  highway,  built  and 
kept  in  repair  probably  at  public  expense,  for  the 
inarch  of  the  king  and  his  army,  like  the  imperial 
or  Sultan's  road,  as  the  old  broad,  public  army- 
roads  are  called  in  the  east.  The  references  are 
frequent  in  the  books  of  travel.  Seetzen  I.,  pp. 
61,  132.  See  also  Knobel  in  loc.  Comp.  Robin- 
son II.,  p.  556.  According  to  an  early  conjec- 
ture, which  Keil  has  adopted,  the  king's  road 
here  led  through  the  Wady  El  Ghuweir.  [Ro- 
binson, Coleman,  Bible  Com.  and  others,  hold 
the  same  view. — A.  G.].  This  road  may  seem 
too  fur  to  the  north,  although  running  directly 
eastwards  from  Kadesh.  For  the  Edomitish 
kings  see  Gen.  xxxvi.  31-39. 

Vers.  18,  19.  After  the  refusal  and  menace  of 
the  king,  the  Israelites  explain  more  fully  their 
purposes.  The  previous  declaration  we  'will 
not  drink  of  the  water  of  the  wells,  is  now 
explained  by  the  clause  I  will  pay  for  it.  pi 
"surely,  altogether" — it  is  of  no  consequence. 
They  will  pass  along  the  high-road  only  on  their 
feet.  [The  extreme  scarcity  of  water  seems  to 
justify  the  practice  of  selling  what  is  most  free 
with  us.  The  treasures  gathered  were  guarded 
80  jealously  that  sometimes  they  could  not  be  ob- 
tained for  money.  Hence  the  natural  promise 
here  that  they  would  pay  for  the  water. — A.  G.]. 

Vers.  20,  21.  The  king  follows  up  his  threat 
by  mustering  an  armed  force  and  dispatching  it 
to  the  border,  so  that  the  Israelites  were  com- 
pelled to  ciiange  their  course.  Thus  they  come 
to  mount  Hor.  [The  description  seems  to  imply 
that  the  Israelites  had  little  doubt  of  the  success 
of  their  message.  The  proposition  was  so  rea- 
sonable, the  guarantees  were  so  full,  the  grounds 
upon  which  the  request  was  urged  were  so  strong, 
that  they  did  not  deem  it  necessary  to  wait  for 
the  return  of  the  messenger.  They  seem  to  have 
started  without  anticipating  the  churlisli  refusal, 
and  only  turned  southward  when  they  found  the 
passage  barred. — A.  G.J. 

B.  The  death  of  Aaron  upon  mount  Hor,  vers. 
22-29.     "  Breaking  up  from  Kadesh   the  Israel- 


ites passed  through  the  Wady  Murreh,  which 
runs  along  the  west  of  the  Arabah,  to  mount  Hor. 
This  mountain  standing  on  the  boundary  (chap, 
xxxiii.  37)  '!^'4\>_'^  of  the  land  of  Edom  was  located 

by  Joseph.  [Ant.  IV.  4,  7),  and  also  by  Eusebius 
and  Jekome  in  the  vicinity  of  Petra.  Jerome, 
Or  mans,  in  quo  mortuus  est  Aaron,  juxta  civitatem 
Petrarn.  According  to  modern  travellers  it  is 
mount  Haran,  on  the  northwest  side  of  Wady 
Musa  (Petra).  Robinson  describes  it,  II.,  p. 
508,  as  a  cone  irregularly  truncated,  having 
three  ragged  points  or  peaks  of  which  that  on 
the  northeast  is  highest,  and  has  upon  it  the 
wely  or  tomb  of  Aaron,  from  which  the  name  of 
the  mountain  Harun,  i.  e.,  Aaron,  is  derived. 
There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  correctness  of 
this  tradition.  See  Burckhardt's  Syria,  p.  715; 
Ritter,  ErdkundeXl\.,y>.\V21,"  Keil.  [Also 
Stanley,  Sinai  and  Palestine,  pp.  86,  87,  and  note. 
— A.  G.].  Why  Knobel  doubts  its  correctness  is 
not  clearly  seen  from  his  arguments,  especially  as 
he  holds  that  the  "second  Jehovistic  document" 
requires  that  the  Hebrews  should  have  marched 
northeastward  through  the  Wady  Murreh  and 
northern  Edom  (!).  But  more  important  consi- 
derations meet  us.  Had  the  Israelites  marched 
to  this  mount  Harun,  they  would  have  gone  almost 
directly  towards  the  army  of  Edom,  directly  tow- 
ards the  capital  city  Petra,  and  under  these  cir- 
cumstances a  battle  could  hardly  have  been 
avoided.  They  would  then  also,  as  if  in  defiance 
of  Edom,  have  encamped  for  thirty  days  over 
against  Petra.  The  text  is  plainly  opposed  to 
this  :  they  evaded  the  challenge  of  Edom  ;  they 
did  not  march  in  an  easterly,  but  southeasterly 
direction.  Besides,  the  mountain  top  to  which  the 
aged  and  wearied  one  was  led,  need  not  have  been 
a  very  lofty  one.  According  to  Dout.  x.  6,  Aaron 
died  at  Moserah,  and  was  there  buried.  It  might 
be  inferred,  from  the  immediate  connection,  that 
Aaron  died  here  upon  the  way  to  Kadesh.  But 
it  is  merely  in  passing,  and  as  a  reminiscence, 
that  Aaron's  death  is  there  referred  to.  The 
main  thing  is  the  statement  that  upon  the  upward 
journey  [/.  «.,  to  Kadesh  J  the  rights  and  posi- 
tions of  the  Levites  were  precisely  established, 
thus  this  mountain  on  the  upward  way  became  a 
Levitical  mountain,  and  upon  the  mountain  on 
the  march  back,  Aaron  the  head  of  the  Levites 
died  and  was  buried.  In  the  list  of  encamp- 
ments this  place  is  called  Moserah,  and  we  must 
not  overlook  the  fact  that  it  is  only  two  days 
removed  from  Hor-Hagidgad.  At  all  events  Mo- 
serah lay  in  the  direction  of  the  Red  Sea,  and 
scarcely  in  the  Edomitic  Arabah,  but  upon  its 
western  side  aud  in  the  desert.  [There  is  clearly 
no  contradiction  in  the  statement  that  Aaron  died 
at  Moserah,  and  on  mount  Hor.  The  camp  lay 
at  Moserah  probably  at  the  base  of  mount  Hor 
or  upon  its  lower  slopes,  while  Moses  took  Aaron 
and  Eleazar  his  son  and  ascended  the  mountain 
where  Aaron  died.  For  the  manner  in  which 
Aaron's  death  is  referred  to  iu  Deut.  x  6,  see 
note  on  that  passage,and  Q,VTA.Tia^ s Levitical  Priests, 
pp.  9,  10.— A.  G.]. 

Vers.  22-24.  Hor  is  not  spoken  of  as  a  particu- 
lar mountain,  but  as  a  mountain  peak  in  a  ridge, 
[inn  "in  Hor  the  mountain,  i.  e.,  the  summit  of 

T    T 

the  mountain  ;   which   corresponds  precisely  to 


CHAP.  XX.  14— XXI.  3. 


lOT 


the  description  given  by  Stanley,  Sinai  and  Pa- 
lestine, p.  86.  See  also  chap,  xxxiv.  7. — A.  G.]. 
Aaron's  death  is  announced  at  Hor,  and  the  or- 
dinances in  relation  to  it  follow.  Aaron  shall 
be  gathered  to  his  people.  He  is  reminded  of 
his  transgression  at  the  waters  of  Meribah.  His 
priestly  garments  shall  be  taken  from  him  and 
put  upon  Eleazar  his  son.  Thus  Aaron  dies 
upon  mount  Hor,  and  disappears  from  the  his- 
tory, vanishes  into  concealment,  as  Moses  did 
afterward.  Aaron  died  on  the  first  day  of  the 
fifth  month,  in  the  fortieth  year  of  the  Exodus, 
123  years  old. 

C.  The  Expedition  against  the  King  of  Arad. 
Chap.  xxi.  1-8.  Israel  cannot  take  its  departure 
from  the  south  of  Canaan  without  recalling  the 
disgraceful  defeat  it  had  suffered  thirty-eight 
years  before,  ■sphen  attempting  to  enter  Canaan 
from  that  side.  Then  the  Amalekites  came 
down,  and  the  Canaanites  virhich  dvrelt 
in  that  hill,  and  smote  them,  and  discom- 
fited them,  even  unto  Hormah.  —  Chap. 
xiv.  45.  The  thoughts  of  the  people  now  turn 
back  to  this  early  history  which  the  writer  here 
speaks  of  as  that  which  had  already  occurred. 
Once  the  Canaanite  king  of  Arad  heard  that 
Israel  came  by  the  way  of  the  spies.  If  we  re- 
gard Atharim  not  as  the  name  of  a  place,  but  as 
an  appellative  name,  synonymous  with  hattarim, 
the  spies  (Keil),  the  notion  of  an  army  which 
had  once  followed  the  spies  is  obviously  sug- 
gested. We  find  moreover  the  king  of  Arad  in 
the  very  same  region  in  which  the  Israelites  had 
formerly  been  defeated  by  the  Amalekites  and 
Canaanites.  Then  Hormah  was  the  limit  of  tlie 
overthrow,  now  it  is  the  goal  of  the  retaliation. 
Israel  at  that  time  made  the  vow :  If  thou  wilt 
indeed  deliver  this  people  into  my  hand, 
then  I  w^ill  utterly  destroy  their  cities. — 
At  last  the  time  of  retribution  has  come.  That 
they  did  not  undertake  the  avenging  expedition 
from  Kadesh,  but  first  from  Moserah  or  Mount 
Hor,  has  its  ground  in  the  necessity  of  first  re- 
moving their  wives  and  children  and  herds  from 
the  scene  of  danger.  Jehovah  crownjd  their  re- 
taliatory expedition  into  the  country  of  Arad 
with  success.  The  particular  and  careful  desig- 
nation of  the  place  of  battle:  he  called  the 
name  of  the  place  Hormah  (destruction) 
shows  that  they  did  not  destroy  the  cities  of  the 
entire  kingdom,  but  spread  terror  along  its 
southern  boundary,  while  the  complete  conquest 
of  the  country  was  left  for  the  subsequent  cam- 
paigns of  Joshua  (Josh.  xi.  and  xii.).  This  suc- 
cessful expedition  was  the  first  victory  for  the 
new  generation,  foretokening  their  great  conflict 
in  Canaan,  as  the  later  retaliatory  march  against 
the  Midianites  (chap,  xxxi.),  was  the  second. 
The  narrative  moreover  seems  to  be  only  of  a 
preliminary  and  comparatively  unimportant 
event. 

The  usual  assumption  that  the  attack  by  the 
king  of  Arad  had  not  occurred  until  now  is  met 
by  strong  improbabilities.  It  is  not  in  the  first 
place  a  probable  assumption  that  the  new  gene- 
ration should  figure  in  a  defeat  at  their  first  ap- 
pearance upon  the  stage;  nor  that  this  defeat 
should  have  occurred  at  Mount  Hor ;  and  still 
more  is  it  unlikely  that  the  stricken  host  should 
have  remained  long  enough  at  Mount  Hor  to  ga- 


ther courage  for  an  avenging  expedition.  Keii, 
indeed  obviates  in  part  these  oljjections  by  as- 
suming that  the  attack  had  occurred  before  the 
Israelites  had  reached  Hor.  But  it  lies  directly 
in  the  face  of  the  narrative  to  suppose  that  the 
Israelites  in  their  departure  had  turned  back 
northwards,  or  to  the  north-east,  and  not  south- 
wards to  the  Red  Sea.  [The  narrative  seems  to 
imply  that  the  king  of  Arad,  recalling  the  defeat 
of  the  Israelites  thirty-eight  years  before,  and 
thinking  that  a  "fatal  blow  might  be  inflicted 
upon  them,  now  fell  suddenly  upon  them  as  they 
were  breaking  up  from  Kadesh,  and  when,  in 
the  confusion  attending  the  march,  they  were 
unprepared,  and  took  some  of  them  prison- 
ers." There  was  no  serious  defeat  of  the  Is- 
raelites. It  was  a  mere  successful  raid  upon 
them,  which  was  punished  and  avenged  as  soon 
as  they  were  encamped  at  Moserah,  or  perhaps 
before  they  reached  that  place. —  A.  G.]  "Be- 
sides the  allusion  to  Arad  here  and  chap,  xxxiii. 
40,  it  appears  again  Josh.  xii.  14  as  the  seat 
of  a  Canaanitish  king,  Hormah.  Comp.  Judg. 
i.  16.  According  to  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  it 
lay  about  twenty  Roman  miles  south  from  He- 
bron, and  still  exists  in  the  ruins  of  Tell-Arad. 
Robinson,  II.,  p.  473,  saw  it  at  a  distance  [see 
also  Stanley,  Sinai  and  Palestine,  pp.  160,  16i. — 
A.  G.]."  Keil. 

Hormah  was  earlier  called  Zephath,  Judg.  i. 
17.  In  reply  to  the  assumption  that  this  expe- 
dition against  Arad  is  only  an  account  of  the 
conquest  of  that  city  by  Joshua.  See  Keil,  p.  138. 
[Bible  Commentary,  p.  725.  The  order  of 
events  is  clear.  The  Israelites  here  having 
avenged  the  unprovoked  attack  upon  them  and 
destroyed  their  cities,  and  named  the  place  Hor- 
mah, departed  on  their  march  southwards  to 
compass  Edom.  When  they  left,  the  Canaanites 
re-occupied  the  sites  of  their  ruined  cities  and 
restored  the  earlier  names.  Joshua  finds  them 
in  possession,  completes  their  overthrow,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  "ban"  under  which  Israel 
had  placed  them.  "We  have  therefore  in  the 
passage  before  us  the  history  of  the  actual  origin 
of  the  name  Hormah." — A.  G.] 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL, 

The  new  generation,  new  offences,  new  atone- 
ments.    Defeats  and  victories. 

1.  The  departure  of  the  new  generation  com- 
mences with  an  act  of  pious  magnanimity,  the 
message  to  Edom.  It  is  surely  a  Christian  prin- 
ciple that  Christian  nations  should  have  a  sacred 
regard  for  the  ties  of  consanguinity  in  their  re- 
lations and  intercourse  with  other  nations. 

2.  At  the  beginning  of  the  circuitous  march 
around  the  land  of  Edom,  Aaron  dies  and  is  bu- 
ried on  Mount  Hor.  The  solemn  formal  priestly 
burial  has  a  close  connection  with  the  blessings 
of  the  world  then,  and  for  succeeding  generations. 
On  the  contrary  it  was  fitting  that  the  death  and 
the  grave  of  the  great  prophet  Moses  should  be 
kept  from  the  public  gaze,  mantled  In  mystery 
and  darkness. 

3.  The  investiture  of  Eleazar  has  also  a  grand 
ceremonial  character  and  significance.  It  is  an 
impressive  symbolical  transaction — as  the  whole 
typical  priesthood   has  this  character.     [Stan- 


108 


NUMBERS. 


LET,  History  of  the  Jewish  Church.  "  The  succes- 
sion of  the  Priesthood,  that  link  of  continuity 
between  the  past  and  present,  now  first  intro- 
duced into  the  Jewish  Church,  was  made  through 
that  singular  usage  preserved  even  to  the  latest 
days  of  the  Jewish  hierarchy  by  the  transfer- 
ence of  -he  vestments  of  the  dead  High  Priest 
to  the  living  successor." — A.  G.] 

4.  Israel  as  the  people  of  the  law,  having  their 
Judaical  and  punitive  character,  cannot  leave  the 
south  region  without  righting  the  injury  they 
had  suffered  from  the  king  of  Arad.  When  the 
correcting  and  thus  the  removing  of  a  moral 
wrong  is  at  stake,  even  Christian  politics  has  its 
strict,  stern  law. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Pacific  disposition  towards  Edom,  his  brother. 
Mount  Hor,  Aaron's  goal,  Eleazar's  starting 
place.  The  deferred  retribution  which  impended 
over  the  king  of  Arad. 

Vers.  14-22.  Peaceableness  and  contentious- 
ness. Particular  regard  for  kindred  races.  Go- 
ing out  of  the  way  for  the  sake  of  peace,  when 
enjoined  and  when  not.  [The  request — its  rea- 
sonableness, its  guarantees;  the  grounds  upon 
which  it  is  urged.  1.  The  ties  of  kindred.  2. 
Their  pufiFerings  in  Egypt.  3.  The  deliverance 
the  Lord  had  given  them. — A.  G.] 


Vers.  22-29.  Mount  Hor.  Aaron's  virtues,  the 
connection  with  Moses,  and  their  common  devo- 
tion to  the  people.  The  subordination  of  the  elder 
brother  to  the  younger;  of  the  High  Priest  to 
the  prophet;  of  the  priestly  ofi"ender,  to  the 
stern  preacher  of  reproof.  Aaron  between  the 
dead  and  the  living.  His  gentleness  and  his 
boldness.  Eleazar's  ordination  following  the 
disrobing  of  his  father.  The  sorrow  of  the  house 
of  Israel  over  the  death  of  its  High  Priest.  A 
comparison  of  the  celebrated  mountains  of  the 
dead,  Hor,  Nebo,  Golgotha.  [Henry:  "Aaron 
submits  to  the  divine  decree  cheerfully.  He  is 
neither  afraid  nor  ashamed  to  die.  He  has  com- 
fort in  his  death:  he  sees  his  son  preferred,  his 
office  preserved."  Stanley.  "Mount  Hor  of- 
fered a  retrospect  rather  than  a  prospect.  He 
surveyed  the  dreary  mountains,  barren  platform 
and  cheerless  valley  of  the  desert  through  which 
they  had  passed ;  the  opposite  of  that  wide  and 
varied  vista  which  opened  before  the  first  of  the 
prophets." — A.  G.] 

Chap.  xxi.  1-3.  The  victory  over  Arad,  or  the 
trial  of  the  young  generation.  [Their  apparent 
discomfiture;  their  consequent  consciousness  of 
weakness;  their  acknowledgment  of  dependence 
on  God,  and  cry  to  Him  ;  ana  their  complete  tri- 
umph. All  this  finds  its  analogy  in  the  spiritual 
life.— A.  G.] 


SECOND  SECTION. 

From  Mount  Hor  to  the  Plains  of  Moab. 

Chapters  XXI.  4— XXII.   1. 

A.— THE  DEPARTURE  FROM  MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  FIERY  SERPENTS. 

Chapter  XXI.  4-9. 

4  And  they  journeyed  from  mount  Hor  by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea,  to  compass 
the  land  of  Edom :  and  the  soul  of  the  people.was  much  discouraged^  because  of 

5  the  way.  And  the  people  spake  against  Go(^4ind  against  Moses,  Wherefore  have 
ye  brought  us  up  out  of  Egypt  to  die  in  the  wilderness  ?  for  there  is  no  bread, 

6  neither  is  there  any  water  ;  and  our  soul  loatheth  this  light  bread.     And  the  Lord{-^i/*^ 
sent  fiery  serpents  among  the  people,  and  they  bit  the  people;  and  much  people 

of  Israel  died. 

7  Therefore  the  people  came  to  Moses,  and  said,  We  have  sinned,  for  we  have 
spoken  against  the  Lord,  and  against  thee ;  pray  unto  the  Lord,  that  he  take 

8  away  the  serpents  from  us.  And  Moses  prayed  for  the  people.  And  the  Lord 
said  unto  Moses,  Make  thee  a  fiery  serpent,  and  set  it  upon  a  pole  :  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  that  every  one  that  is  bitten,  when  he  looketh  upon  it,  shall  live. 

9  And  Mo.scs  made  a  serpent  of  brass,  and  put  it  upon  a  pole;  and  it  came  to  pass, 
that  if  a  serpent  had  bitten  any  man,  when  he  beheld  the  serpent  of  brass,  he 
lived. 


1  grieved,  Heb.  shortened. 


CHAP.  XXI.  4-9. 


109 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  5.  Light ;  Luther,  De  Wette,  mean;  Bunsen,  wretched;  light,  not  as  opposed  to  solid,  but  as  that  which 
nauseates,  disgusts — vile. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  6.  Lange:  venomous.  The  Hlty,  literally  burning,  denotes  with  tj?n3  and  sometimes  without  (ver.  8, 
below)  a  kind  of  serpent  whose  bite  produces  burning  heat  and  thirst.  Our  word  fiery  is  a  good  rendering,  but 
is  ambiguous.    De  Wette  and  others  retain  the  Hebrew  word  Seraphim. — A.  G 

[Ver.  7.  And  the  people.] 

[Ver.  8.  omit  Serpent.] 

[Ver.  8.    02t  standard.    See  Exodus  xvii.  15 :  JefcouoA-nwsi. — A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

Keil  gives  as  the  heading  to  the  contents  of 
this  section:  ''The  march  of  Israel  through  the 
Arabah."  He  starts  with  the  assumption  that 
mount  Hor  stands  near  Petra.  "Leaving  mount 
Hor,  Israel  must  take  the  way  to  the  Red  Sea, 
in  order  to  compass  the  land  of  Edom,  since 
Edom  refused  permission  to  cross  its  territory, 
and  thus  descend  the  Arabah  to  the  head  of  the 
Ailanitic  gulf."  But  if  it  is  settled  that  the 
Arabah  forms  a  part  of  Edom,  and  if  it  is  further 
settled  that  by  the  command  of  Jehovah,  Israel 
must  pass  around  Edom,  it  is  impossible  that 
they  should  have  marched  through  the  Arabah 
on  their  way  to  the  Red  Sea,  for  leaving  out  of 
view  the  difficulty  of  their  finding  sustenance  in 
this  narrow  rocky  valley  (see  Shubert,  Travels, 
IL  396),  RiTTER,  Erdkunde  XIV.,  p.  1013  [see 
however,  on  the  other  hand,  Robinson,  Res.  II. 
594  seq.,  and  Stanley,  Sinii  and  Palestine,  pp. 
84,  85. — A.  G.],  they  would  be  in  constant  dan- 
ger of  attack  by  the  Edomites  and  of  perishing 
by  the  sword  with  their  wives  and  children. 
As  they  came  up  from  Sinai  to  Kadesh  through 
the  desert  plateau  Et  Tih  (Paran),  so  they  must 
have  returned  through  the  same  desert,  although 
farther  to  the  east,  from  Kadesh  to  the  Red  Sea. 
The  Israelites,  it  is  true,  at  the  end  of  their 
march  to  the  Red  Sea,  must  have  crossed  the 
limits  of  the  Edomitish  territory,  as  this  comes 
out  clearly  in  Deut.  ii".  1.  They  compassed 
mount  Seir  many  days,  and  they  were  com- 
manded to  turn  northward,  not  of  course  back 
upon  the  way  they  had  come,  but  in  a  north- 
easterly direction,  which  shows  that  they  had 
reached  the  extreme  limits  of  the  Edomite  king- 
dom, and  must  now  penetrate  it,  passing  over 
below  iheir  brethren  the  sons  of  Esau,  and  be- 
low the  Arabah  (comp.  the  notes  in  this  Com- 
mentary, Deut.  ii.  12). 

The  desert  plateau  Et  Tih  was,  according  to 
the  testimony  of  modern  travellers,  far  better 
fitted  for  the  returning  path  of  the  Israelites 
than  the  Arabah.  See  extracts  in  -Ritter's 
Erdkunde,  part  14,  Book  3,  p.  830,  The  Central 
and  Northern  Routes  across  the  Desert  Et  Tih  to 
the  Promised  Land,  from  Seetzen,  Russegers 
and  others.  The  description  of  Seetzen,  who 
went  from  the  north  to  the  south,  from  Beer- 
sheba  to  Sinai,  merits  special  attention.  Here 
we  met  several  Wadys  with  broad  pasture-lands, 
our  path  at  times  crossing  rolling  flowery  mea- 
dows, across  heaths  blooming  with  white-flow- 
ering heather,  now  and  then  by  springs  or 
fountains,  but  also  through  rocky  fields,  strewn 


with  flint-stones,  while  at  times  also  we  found 
•'  the  ground  full  of  holes  the  homes  of  serpents, 
lizards,  etc."  The  fiery  serpents  cannot  there- 
fore be  urged  with  force  in  favor  of  the  Arabah. 
[Stanley,  Si7iai  and  Palestine,  p.  84,  agrees  with 
Keil,  and  uses  this  strong  language  of  the 
Israelites  and  the  Arabah:  "It  is  indeed  doubt- 
ful whether  they  passed  up  it  on  their  way  to 
Canaan;  but  no  one  can  doubt  that  they  passed 
down  it  when  the  valleys  of  Edom  were  closed 
against  them.  This  was  clearly  the  natural 
route  for  them  to  take ;  and  the  very  argument 
which  Lange  uses  against  it — the  want  of  sus- 
tenance— seems  strongly  to  favor  it.  The  scar- 
city of  food  made  them  more  sensible  of  their 
dependence  upon  the  manua,  and  they  wearied 
with  the  sameness;  our  soul  loatheth  this 
vile  bread. — Geographical  considerations,  the 
well-ascertained  fact  that  the  Arabah  abounds 
in  poisonous  serpents,  and  the  tenses  of  the 
narration  all  favor  the  Arabah.  The  incidents 
of  the  later  narrative  and  the  easy  egress  from 
the  Arabah  to  the  plains  east  of  Edom  through 
the  Wady  Ithm  confirm  this  view. — A.  G.] 

Vers.  4-9.  And  the  soul  of  the  people 
■was  much  discouraged  because  of  the 
way.  —  The  young  and  vigorous  generation 
found  the  long  return  journey  wearisome,  partly 
because  it  seemed  like  a  discomfiture,  because 
they  so  carefully  avoided  the  Edomites,  with 
whom  they  bad  recently  tried  their  strength  in 
the  region  of  Arad,  and  from  whom  they  may 
have  captured  large  herds,  which  proved  a 
source  of  supply  in  the  march.  At  all  events 
they  were  greatly  depressed.  They  sighed  for 
a  fruitful  land,  and  the  manna  from  a  miraculous 
food,  became  to  them  as  a  light   (contemptible 

7p7p)  bread,  while  the  usual  bread  and  water 
were  wanting.  They  spase  against  God 
(Elohim)  and  against  Moses. — It  is  observa- 
ble that  they  did  not  rebel  against  Jehovah,  but 
murmured  against  the  divine  guidance  and  the 
leading  of  Moses.  [There  seems  to  be  little 
ground  for  the  distinction  drawn  between  Elo- 
him and  Jehovah  as  the  object  of  their  queru- 
lous complaints. — A.  G.]  Their  unbelief  grew 
out  of  the  delusion  which  the  previous  genera- 
tion expressed,  that  they  also,  as  their  fathers, 
must  die  in  the  desert.  The  punishment  laid 
upon  them  is  commensurate  with  their  less  tur- 
bulent and  violent  disobedience.  Then  sent 
Jehovah  (not  Elohim)  fiery  serpents  among 
the  people. — Here  again  the  judicial  provi- 
dence of  God  uses  the  noxious  product  of  the 
land  for  punishment,  converting  the  serpents  of 
the    desert    into   a   divine   punitive   visitation. 


no 


NUMBERS. 


_"  Fiery,  literally  burning  serpents;  so  called^ 
from  the  inflammatory  nature  of  theixbiie^which 
infuses  a  burning^  deadly  poison  ;  as  tlie  Greeks 
also  name  certain  serpents,  especially  the  diipac, 
because  its  poison  wrought  like  burning  fire, 
npoarfjpEQ  and  Kavauveg  (Dioscoriues  VII.  13; 
Aelian,  Natura  Anim.  VI.  51),  and  not  because 
they  had  fiery,  red  spots  upon  their  skins,  which 
are  frequently  found  in  the  Arabah,  and  are 
extremely  poisonous."  Keil.  But  why  should 
they  not  have  been  named^from__the  fiery  red 
'color  of  the  serpents,  which  finds  its  reflection 
later  in  the  fiery  glow  of  the  brazen  serpent? 
The  one  quality,  however,  does  not  necessarily 
exclude  the  other.  This  is  clear  from  a  citation 
from  V.  Shubert's  Travels:  "At  midday  a  very 
mottled  snake,  marked  with  fiery  red  spots  and 
wavy  stripes,  which   belonged  to   the   most   poi- 

^  Bonous  species,  as  the  construction  of  its  teeth 
clearly  showed.  According  to  the  Bedouins, 
these  snakes,  which  they  greatly  dreaded,  were 
very  common  in  that  neighborhood."  [For 
similar  occurrences  see  Strabo  XV.  723 ;  XVI. 
759,  referred  fo  in  Bible  Com.  I.  725. — A.  G.] 
And  much  people  of  Israel  died.  Although 
the  swarm  of  serpents  was  extraordinarily  large, 
we  may  suppose  that  the  excitement  among  the 
people,  the  confusion,  and  their  conscience  awa- 
kened to  a  sense  of  their  guilt,  greatly  increased 
their  terror.  The  voluntary  repentance  of  the 
people,  which  was  wanting  in  the  earlier  gene- 
ration, shows  how  greatly  the  present  generation 
was  in  advance  of  its  predecessor.  They  con- 
fess that  they  have  sinned  against  Jehovah  their 
covenant-God,  and  against  Moses,  and  implored 
him  to  intercede  in  their  behalf. 

The  divine  answer  is  adapted  to  the  situation, 
ehows  a  marvellous  and  profound  psychological 
insight,  and  at  the  same  time  is  of  great  Chris- 
tological  and  soteriological  significance.  Make 
thee  a  fiery  serpent  (an  image  of  one),  and 
set  it  upon  a  pole  (standard),  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  every  one  that  is  bit- 
ten, v^hen  he  looketh  upon  it,  shall  live 
(shall  not  die).  Moses  understood  the  command 
correctly,  and  made  a  brazen  serpent.  This 
goes  to  show  that  the  assumption  that  the  ser- 
pents were  named  from  their  red  color  is  cor- 
rect. The  miraculous  result  corresponds  fully 
with  the  promise. 

This  obscure  and  mysterious  narration  rises 

linto  great  importance  in  its  soteriological  aspect, 
through  the  application  which  Christ  Himself 
makes  of  it  to  flis  own  life,  which  He  also  makes 

jin  mystC;rious  words.     Many  theologians  there- 

ffore  ha  ,'e  been  earnestly  engaged  in  the  expla- 
nation of  this  passage.  For  the  literature  see 
in  Keil,  p.  179,  note  Eng.  Trans.,  Kurtz,  Hist. 
of  Old  Cov.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  428  [see  also  Lanqe, 
Com.  on  John,  cliap.  iii.  14  ;  Cowles,  The  Penta- 
teuch, has  a  brief  and  satisfactory  note. — A.  G.] 
Among  the  explanations  of  the  brazen  serpent, 
the  passage  in  Wisdom  xvi.  6,  7.  It  is  a  sym- 
bol of  salvation  to  remind  them  of  the  command- 
ment of  thy  law.  We  have  a  clearer  interpreta- 
tion of  the  symbol  here  than  we  find  in  some 
modern  theologians.  The  profonndest,  but  also 
the  most  obscure  application  of  the  passage  is 
the  word  of  our  Lord,  John  iii.  14.  Keil  gives 
Ldtheb's  explanation :   "  In  the  first   place  the 


serpent  which  Moses  was  to  make  at  God's  com- 
mand was  to  be  of  brass  or  copper,  i.  e.  of  a 
reddish  color,  and  in  every  way  (though  without 
poison)  like  those,  who  from  the  bite  of  the  fiery 
serpents  were  red  and  burning  with  heat.  In 
the  second  place,  the  brazen  serpent  must  be  set 
upon  a  pole  for  a  sign.  And  in  the  third  place, 
those  who  were  bitten  of  the  fiery  serpents  and 
would  live  must  look  to  the  brazen  serpent  so 
lifted  up ;  otherwise  they  could  not  recover  or 
live." 

But  this  is  rather  a  description  of  the  event 
than  an  explanation  of  the  symbol.  Hengsten- 
berg's  explanation  reminds  us  of  Menken: 
"Christ  is  the  antitype  of  the  serpent  in  so  far  as 
He  took  sin,  the  most  pernicious  of  all  pernicious 
potencies,  upon  Himself,  and  made  a  vicarious 
atonement  for  it."  The  great  mistake  in  this  ex- 
planation lies  in  the  thought  that  the  serpents 
here  typify  sin,  whereas  they  were  sent  as  a 
punishment  and  an  antidote  for  sin.  Men  fall 
into  the  mistake  through  the  operation  of  a  dead 
mechanical  principle  of  hermeneutics,  according 
to  which  the  same  image,  e.g.,  the  leaven,  must 
always  represent  the  same  thing. 

But  the  serpents  here  have,  on  the  one  hand, 
just  as  little  to  do  with  the  serpent  in  Eden,  or 
with  the  devil,  the  old  serpent,  as,  on  the  other 
hand,  they  have  with  the  serpent  of  iEsculapius, 
the  symbol  of  healing  power  or  virtue.  Keil 
rejects,  with  good  reason,  the  interpretation  of 
Winer,  Knobel  and  others,  that  the  view  com- 
mon to  the  religion  of  antiquity,  that  the  serpent 
was  a  beneficent  and  health-bringing  power,  lies 
at  the  basis  of  this  narrative.  On  this  supposi- 
tion the  direct,  immediate  view  of  the  fiery 
(brazen)  serpent  must  have  been  much  more  ef- 
fective. In  sharp  antagonism  to  this  interpreta- 
tion stands  the  view  of  the  dogmatic  realists  as 
wrought  out  by  Menken  in  his  Treatise  on  the 
Brazen  Serpent  (Works,  Vol.  VI.,  p.  351,  Bremen, 
1858).  In  this  view  the  serpent  signifies  in  the 
first  place  the  devil,  then  sin,  then  further  (in 
entire  consistency  with  that  system)  inherited 
original  sin,  as  it  clave  even  to  the  nature  of 
Christ,  but  as  the  sin  of  humanity,  was  extirpated 
through  His  sufi"erings  upon  the  cross.  To  reach 
the  full  import  of  this  thought,  Menken  supposes 
that  the  standard  upon  which  the  serpent  was 
placed  was  the  principal  standard  of  Israel,  the 
banner  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  and  this  most  proba- 
bly was  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  so  that  the  sins 
of  humanity  appeared  here  symbolically  upon 
the  cross,  i.  e.,  overcome  and  destroyed.  As  if 
the  poor  bitten  Jew  himself  must  have  thought 
of  all  this,  or  could  even  have  suspected  it. 
Others  hold.  Sack,  e.g.,  that  the  symbolism  is  notj 
in  the  figure,  but  in  the  lifting  up  (the  lifting  up^ 
of  the  serpent,  the  lifting  up  of  Christ).  Ewald 
places  it  in  the  symbolic  destruction  of  the  ser- 
pents which  to  the  believing  one  who  looked 
was  an  assurance  of  the  redeeming  power  of 
Jehovah. 

If  we  make  this  our  starting  point,  which  clear- 
ly results  from  the  narrative,  that  the  fiery  ser- 
pents indicate  not  the  sins  of  Israel,  but  the  coun- 
teracting agency  of  the  sins,  the  punishment,  thus 
also  the  evil,  then  the  mystery,  in  its  great  fea- 
tures, soon  comes  into  the  light.  The  view  of  | 
evil  in  the  confidence  that  it  is  Jehovah's  remedy  | 


CHAPTER  XXI.  4-9. 


Ill 


z. 


against  sia,  this  is  tlie  main  thing.     Heathenism 
proclaims    its    delusion    in    two    words:     sin    is 
merely  an  ill,  an  endurable  fate,  but  the  ill  itself 
is  the  real  peculiar  harm,  far  worse  than  the  ain. 
Christendom,  on   the  contrary,  in  its  truth  pro- 
claims :  sin  is  the  intolerable  injury,  but  the  ill 
result,  its  consequence,  is  also  its  remedy.    Thus 
in  the  cross,  or  even  in  death,  in  the  communion 
in  death  with  Christ,  is  salvation.     In  that  case 
therefore  the  look  to  the  serpent  image  taught 
that  the  true,  peculiai',  pernicious,  fiery  serpents 
were  their  murmuring  disposition  and  complaints 
against  Jehovah,  while  the   fiery  serpents  were 
sent  by  God  for  a  little  season  for  a  terror  and 
wa,raing.     Thus  also,  according  to  the  epistle  to 
the  Hebrews,  Christians  have  become  free  from 
the  bondage  of  sin  and  Satan,  since  with   the 
look  to  the  cross  of  Christ  they  have  recognized 
death  as  the  salvation  of  the  world.     When  this 
confidence  in  the  healing  power  of  all  pure,  di- 
vinely destined  ill  is  established,  then  the  heart 
is  fixed.     In  the  restful  assurance  which  the  .Jew 
found  in   his  look   to  the  brazen  serpent,  as  it 
symbolized  to  him  the  saving  virtue  and  agency 
of  Jehovah,  he  lost  all  dread  of  the  fipry  serpents, 
and  could  assume  towards  them  the  attitude  of 
a  conqueror.     We   know  not  how  in  any  other 
way   the  great  pestilential  scourges  which  have 
descended  from   heathendom,  have  lost  to  such 
an  extent,  their  fearful  terrifying   sympathetic 
power,  within  the  sphere  of  Christendom.  A  more 
definite  relation  between  the  serpent  upon  the 
standard  and   the  Saviour  upon   the  cross,  lies 
firstly  in  its  elevation :  it  was  a  raised  signjvisi.- 
yfiJLa_alJ..     The  cross  of  Christ  is  a  sign  for  the 
whole  world.     Then  Christ  appeared  upon  the 
cross,    under    the    assumption    by   the    blinded 
world,  that  He  was  the  betrayer  and  corrupter 
of  men,  the  serpent  in  the  bosom  of  the  people 
of  God,  while  in  truth  He  was  absolutely  the  con- 
trary, so  that  believing  humanity  must  recognize 
its  saving  Friend  in   the  form  and  image  of  its 
hereditary  foe.     Thus   He   was  the  antitype  of 
that  brazen  serpent  which  had  the  form  of  the 
fiery  serpents  which  filled  Israel   with   dismay, 
while  it  was  made  only  as  a  means  of  rescue  and 
healing,  but  at  the  same  time  was  a  symbol  of 
the  truth  that  the  external  visible  fiery  serpents 
|did  not  constitute  the  real  calamity  of  Israel,  but 
the  serpents  of  cowardice  and  discontent,  comp. 
Comm.  on  John  iii.  14. 

The  great  impression  made  upon  the  Israelites 
by  the  brazen  serpent,  appears  from  the  fact  that 
they  took  it  with  them  into  Canaan,  where  it  was 
at  first  regarded  as  a  sacred  relic,  but  at  last  was 
destroyed  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah,  as  it  had  be- 
come an  object  of  idolatrous  reverence  (2  Kings 
xviii.  4). 

[Knobel:  "In  a  similar  way  Alexander  lost 
many  men  as  he  marched  through  Gedrosia,  the 


serpents  springing  upon  the  men  from  the  brush- 
wood upon  the  sand-hills.  The  Sinaitic  peninsula 
is  dangerous  to  travellers  from  the  number  of  ser- 
pents who  have  their  homes  here." — A.  G.]. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  ["  The  heathen  view  of  the  serpent  as  a  i 
blessing  or  healing  power,  is  not  only  foreign  to  i 
the  Old  Testament,  but  is  irreconcilably  opposed 
to  the  Biblical  view  of  the  serpent  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  evil  which  was  founded  upon  Gen. 
iii.  15.  To  this  we  may  add  that  the  thought 
which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  this  explanation, 
viz.,  that  poison  is  to  be  cured  by  poison,  has  no 
support  in  the  Scriptures.  God,  it  is  true,  pun- 
ishes sin  by  sin,  but  He  neither  cures  sin  by  sin, 
nor  death  by  death.  On  the  contrary,  to  con- 
quer sin  it  was  necessary  that  the  Redeemer 
should  be  without  sin,  and  to  take  away  the 
power  from  death,  it  was  requisite  that  Christ,  the 
Prince  of  life,  who  had  life  in  Himself,  should 
rise  again  from  death  and  the  grave  '^John  v.  26; 
xi.  25  ;  Acts  iii.  15 ;  2  Tim.  i.  10)."— A.  G.]. 

2.  [The  looking  of  the  bitten  Israelite  and  the 
looking  in  obedience  to  the  diviae  direction,  and 
upon  the  promise,  was  a  part  of  the  typical  trans- 
action ;  as  much  so  as  the  lifting  up.  There  ia 
scarcely  anything  which  can  better  represent  the 
simple  act  of  faith  than  the  looking. — A.  Q.]. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

[The  brazen  serpent  one  of  the  most  significant  \ 
types  of  the  Old  Testament.     A  proof  also  of  the  1 
peculiar    and    profound    attention    with    which/ 
Christ  read   the   Scriptures,   and  discovered  its' 
meaning,  when   all  others   had  failed.      Bible  . 
Comm.  :   "  The  look  to  the  brazen  serpent  denoted  i 
acknowledgment  of  their  sin,  longing  for  deliver-  I 
ance  from  its  penalty,  and  faith  in  the  means  ap-  / 
pointed  by  God  for  healing."     Henry:    "They 
that  are  disposed  to  quarrel  will  find  fault  when 
there  is  no  fault  to  find.     Justly  are  those  made 
to   feel  God's  judgments,  that  are  not  thankful 
for  His  mercies.     They  that  cry  without  cause 
have  justly  cause  given   them  to  cry  out  their 
repentance ;  they  confess  their  guilt ;  they  are 
particular   in    their   confession ;    they  seek  the 
prayers    of   Moses  for    their    deliverance.     The 
provision  which  God  made  for  their  relief,  was 
wonderful,  and  yet  was  suited  to  their  case.   Ob- 
serve Jlie_resemblance,  <I)  Between  their  disease  I 
and  ours  ;  ©  Between  their  remedy  and  ours  ; 
(f)  Between  the  application  of  their  remedy  and 
ours.     The  brazen  serpent  being  lifted  up  would 
not  cure  if  it  was  not  looked  upon.     They  looked 
and  lived,  and  we,  if  we  believe,  shall  not  perish.. 
It  is  by  faith  that  we  look  unto  Jesus,  Heb.  xii.| 
2.— A.  G.J. 


112 


NUMBERS. 


SECOND  SECTION. 

B.— STATIONS  OF  THE  MARCH  TO  MOUNT  PISGAH. 
Chapter  XXI.  10-20. 

10,11  And  the  children  of  Israel  set  forward,  and  pitched  in  Oboth.  And  they 
journeyed  from  Oboth,  and  pitched  at  ^Ije-abarim,  in  the  wilderness  which  is  before 
Moab,  toward  the  sunrising. 

12, 13  From  thence  they  removed,  and  pitched  in  the  valley  of  Zared.  From  thence 
they  removed,  and  pitched  on  the  other  side  of  Arnon,  which  is  in  the  wilderness 
that  Cometh  out  of  the  coasts  of  the  Amorites :  for  Arnon  is  the  border  of  Moab, 

14  between  Moab  and  the  Amorites.  Wherefore  it  is  said  in  the  book  of  the  wars  of 
the  Lord, 

What  he  did^  in  the  Red  sea, 
And  in  the  brooks  of  Arnon, 

15  And  at  the  stream  of  the  brooks 

That  goeth  down  to  the  dwelling  of  Ar, 
And  lieth  ^upon  the  border  of  Moab. 

16  And  from  thence  they  went  to  Beer :  that  is  the  well  whereof  the  Lord  spake  unto 
Moses,  Gather  the  people  together,  and  I  will  give  them  water. 

17  Then  Israel  sang  this  song : 
^Spring  up,  O  well ;  *sing  ye  unto  it : 

18  The  princes  digged  the  well, 

The  nobles  of  the  people  digged  it, 

By  the  direction  of  the  lawgiver  with  their  staves. 

19  And  from  the  wilderness  they  went  to  Mattanah  :     And  from  Mattanah  to  Naha- 

20  liel :  and  from  Nahaliel  to  Bamoth  :  And  from  Bamoth  in  the  valley,  that  is  in 
the  ^country  of  Moab,  to  the  'top  of  Pisgah,  which  looketh  toward  ^Jeshimon. 


1  Marp  heaps  of  Aharim. 
*  Ma'g  ascend. 
^  Mitrg.  or  the  hill. 


2  Marg.  Vaheb  in  Suphah. 

6  Marg.  answer. 

8  Marg.  or  the  wilderness. 


3  Marg.  leaneth. 
6  Marg.  field. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

Vei-.14.  [Dm  which  our  version  after  the  older  Jewish  commentators  renders  gave,  or  did,  is  now  regarded 
asapiopername.    PiD'iD  not  the  sea,  nor  any  proper  name,  but  as  in  Nah.  i.  3 ;  Job  xxi.  18,  to  destroy  or  overthrow 

T 

as  by  a  whirlwind.— A.  G.J. 

/er.  14.  [Brooks,  better  valleys.   Hibsch.,  the  brooks  or  wadys  forming  the  Arnon.— A.  G.]. 
Ver.  18.  Digged  or  delved  with  the  sceptre  ppHD  or  ruler's  staflF,  Gen.  xlix.  10.    Our  version  gives  the  sense 

ac  ^urately.— A.  G.]. 

Ver.  20.  The  margin  rendering,  wilderness  or  waste,  is  preferable. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

The  different  and  apparently  conflicting  rep- 
resentations as  to  this  march,  leave  us  in  great 
uncertainty.  It  is  necessary  therefore  to  come 
to  the  defective,  but  established  historical  data 
of  the  Bible.  It  is  clear  from  Deut.  ii.  4-8  that 
the  Israelites  merely  crossed  from  Ezion  Geber 
the  land  of  the  Edomites,  on  the  further  side  of 
the  Arabab,  but  did  not  pass  through  its  length ; 
that  they  avoided,  with  the  greatest  care,  the 


Moabitish  territory  also,  so  far  as  it  was  inha- 
bited, and  in  like  manner  the  country  of  the  Am- 
monites. They  thus  sought,  going  out  from 
Ezion  Geber,  to  reach  the  east  side  of  the  king- 
doms of  Edom  and  Moab,  and  marched  north- 
wards, keeping  along  the  line  between  their  bor- 
ders and  the  Arabian  desert,  till  they  touched 
the  region  of  Ammon.  The  first  station  which 
they  reached  after  leaving  the  undefined  place 
of  the  fiery  serpents  was,  according  to  the  nar- 
rative here,  Oboth,  and  from  Oboth  to  Ije-Aba- 
rim,  in  the  desert  eastward  of  Moab.     We  may 


CHAP.  XXI.  10-20. 


113 


conjecture  that  Oboth  lay  on  the  eastern  border 
of  Edom  as  Ije-Abarim  was  upon  the  frontiers  of 
Moab.  In  the  list  of  stations,  chap,  xxxiii.,  they 
went  from  Hor  to  Z  ilmonah,  from  there  to  Pu- 
non,  and  then  to  Oboth.  One  of  these  stations 
may  well  have  been  the  undetermined  place  of 
the  fiery  serpents.  The  record  here  is  so  closely 
connected  with  the  list  of  stations  in  chap,  xxxiii. 
that  they  must  be  considered  together,  and  we 
defer  the  full  investigation  until  that  point  in  the 
narrative  is  readied.  We  confine  ourselves  here 
to  that  which  comes  in  direct  connection  with 
the  text.  [Lange  holds  the  identity  of  Hor  and 
Hor-hagidgad ;  of  Oboth  and  Ezion  Geber;  of 
Jotbath  and  Zalmonah,  both  suggesting  the  idea 
of  a  shaded,  well-watered  oasis;  that  Ebronah 
designates,  with  tolerable  certainty,  a  crossing 
place,  in  which  sense  it  corresponds  with  Pu- 
non  (derived  from  7133  to  turn) ;  and  that  near 

Ezion-Geber  or  Oboth  they  left  the  plain  Et  Tih 
and  crossed  the  Arabali.  His  theory  is  con- 
structed on  the  supposition  that  they  did  not 
march  down  the  Arabah  from  Hor  or  Moserah. 
Keil  thinks  that  Punon  is  doubtless  the  same 
with  Phinon,  a  tribe  seat  of  the  Edomitish  Phy- 
larch,  a  village  between  Zoar  and  Petra,  from 
which,  according  to  Jerome,  copper  was  dug  by 
condemned  criminals.  He  is  compelled  however 
to  place  Punon  to  the  east  of  the  lines  from  Petra 
to  Zoar.  The  localities  cannot  be  certainly  iden- 
tified at  present.  We  may  hope  for  that  in  the 
future  progress  of  geographical  discoveries.  But 
the  general  direction  is  now  well-nigh  beyond 
question.  They  descended  the  Arabah  to  t!ie 
mouth  of  the  Wady  El  Ithm,  which  opens  a  few 
hours  north  of  the  Akaba  or  Ezion  Geber,  and 
gives  easy  access  to  the  eastern  plain.  They 
then  skirted  the  elevated  plateau  of  Idumea,  and 
began  to  turn  to  the  north,  following  essentially 
the  same  route  taken  by  the  caravans  of  the  pre- 
sent day.  The  character  of  the  country  pre- 
vented the  Edomites  from  contesting  their  pass- 
age in  this  direction.  Bible  Com.  regards  the 
name  Oboth  as  identical  with  the  present  pilgrim 
halting-place,  El  Ahsa.  "  The  name  Oboth,  de- 
noting holes  dug  in  the  ground,"  being  the  plu- 
ral of  DiX.  The  term  hasy,  of  which  Ahsa  is  the 
plural,  has  the  same  meaning,  and  thus  the  mo- 
dern station  corresponds  to  the  ancient  both  in 
name  and  place."  All  that  seems  certain,  how- 
ever, is  that  the  place  must  be  sought  in  the  des- 
ert on  the  eastern  skirts  of  Edom  or  Idumea. — 
A.  G.].  From  Oboth  they  came  to  Ije-abarim, 
in  the  wilderness  vsrhich  is  before,  east  of 
Moab.  Keil  translates  "  ruins  of  the  crossings," 
and  thinks  the  place  must  be  sought  for  north  of 
the  Wady  El  Ahsy,  which  divides  Idumea  from 
Moab.  Ges.,  while  he  renders  D^'J^  ruins,  trans- 
lates the  phrase,  tops  of  the  mountain-chain  Abar- 
im.  We  must  take  a  view  of  this  eastern  country 
or  we  shall  fail  to  have  any  clear  notion  amid 
the  confusion  of  conjectures.  The  land  of  Ca- 
naan itself  is  a  region  of  alternate  lowlands  and 
highlands.  The  low-lying  coast  region  is  suc- 
ceeded by  the  highland  of  the  western  mountain 
plateau;  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  by  the  Perean 
highlands.  This  type  appears  of  a  more  decided 
character  as  we  approach  Arabia.  The  Jordan 
valley  is  prolonged  in  the  Ghor  and  the  Arabah, 
8 


the  Perean  highlands  in  the  mountain  range  of 
Abarim,  which  extends  through  the  land  of  the 
Amorites,  of  Moab  and  of  Edom.  This  mountain 
region  terminates  on  the  west  in  abrupt  lofty 
masses,  while  on  the  east  it  slopes  ofl'  into  the 
first  desert  table  land.  This  again  is  bordered 
by  a  loftier  mountain  chain,  standing  out  as 
high  mountains  on  the  west,  but  falling  off 
eastward  into  the  wide  desert  plateau  towards 
inner  Arabia.  This  range  belongs  to  the  great 
encircling  wall  which  girts  around  the  larger 
part  of  Arabia.  The  highland  of  Abarim,  how- 
ever, like  the  lower  regions  toward  the  Ghor,  is 
crossed  from  east  to  west  by  great  wadys,  which 
at  last  break  down  into  mountain  gorges.  The 
name  Abarim  may  be  regarded  as  signifying  that 
the  heights  of  these  mountains  stretch  away 
from  and  beyond  all  these  ravines  and  torrent 
gorges.  The  Israelites  appear  to  have  encamped 
often  by  the  fords  of  these  streams,  as  they 
passed  along  the  eastern  edge  of  the  inhabited 
mountain  region,  to  avoid,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
peopled  regions  of  Moab  and  Edom.  Thus  they 
first  encamped  at  Ije  Abarim,  i.  e.,  probably  the 
ruins  of  the  mountains  rent  by  the  Wady  El  Ahsy 
(in  its  lower  stretches  called  El  Kereky)  over 
against  the  city  Ar  in  Moab.  They  then  pitched 
in  the  valley  of  Zared.— We  much  prefer  to 
leave  the  Wady  Zared  undetermined,  than  to  re- 
gard it  as  Wady  Kerek  "in  the  midst  of  the  land 
of  Moab,"  or  even  the  Wady  Kerek  "in  the  up- 
per part  of  its  course."  ["It  is  to  be  identified 
with  the  Wady  Franjy,  ttie  main  upper  branch 
of  Wady  Kerek.  The  word  Zared  signifies 
"osier;"  and,  remarkably  enough,  the  Wady 
Safsaf,  Willow  Brook,  still  clings  to  the  tributary 
which  unites  with  Wady  Franjy  below  Kerek." 
Bible  Com.  — A.  G.] 

Farther  on  they  came  to  the  Arnon,  which  di- 
vides the  land  of  the  Amorites  from  that  of 
Moab,  and  encamped  beyond  the  wady.  Since 
the  Arnon  is  formed  by  several  smaller  streams, 
and  in  its  lower  course  pisses  through  deep 
gorges,  which  would  not  admit  of  the  passage 
of  an  armed  host,  it  has  been  justly  inferred  that 
the  passage  was  effected  in  the  upper  part  of  its 
course,  and  where  the  aflduent^  still  flowed  apart. 
[RiTTER  quoted  by  Keil:  "It  is  utterly  incon- 
ceivable that  a  whole  people,  travelling  with  all 
their  possessions,  as  well  as  with  their  flocks, 
should  have  been  exposed  without  necessity  to 
the  dangers  and  enormous  diflficulties  that  would 
attend  the  crossing  of  so  dreadfully  wild  atnl  so 
deep  a  valley,  and  that  merely  with  the  purpose 
of  forcing  an  entrance  into  an  enemy's  country." 
— A.  G.]  We  come  now  to  a  very  obscure  pas- 
sage, vers.  14,  15.  The  Sept.  renders  the  pas- 
sage singularly,  but  yet  with  a  correct  appre- 
hension of  the  fundamental  thought:  rf^v  Zwo/3 
'e(p.oytc!e  nal  tovq  ;i;e</zdppoiif  A.pvo)v,  /cat  rovr  x^i-' 
jidp'povQ  naTeaTTjae  KaroiK^aai  Ap,  koX  TrpddKscrai 
Toig  dpinig  Mua/3,  The  Vulgate,  in  doubt  as  to 
the  k^Tibyiae  of  the  Septuagint,  translates:  Sicut 
fecit  in  mari  ruhro,  sic  faciei  in  torrentibus  Arnon. 
Scopuli  iorrentium  inclinati  sunt  ut  requiescerent  in 
Ar,  et  recumberent  in  finibus  Moahilarum. 

Since  it  is  plainly  the  passage  of  the  Arnon 
which  is  celebrated,  it  is  difficult  to  see  why 
Luther  with  others  should  cut  the  knot  as  he 
does  and  render  Vaheb  in  Supha  and  the  brooks 


114 


NUMBERS. 


of  Araon.  And  it  is  still  harder  to  understand 
why  KxoBEL  also  should  read  Vaheb  in  Supha, 
and  add  a  senseless  supplement.  [Knob el  sup- 
poses the  verb  to  be  supplied,  and  refers  to  the 
Amorites,  viz. :  they  possessed  Vaheb  in  Supha 
as  their  southern  limit. — A.  G.]  Keil  explains 
the  passage  hy  referring  to  the  capture  of  the 
region  by  storm,  although  there  has  been  thus 
far  no  allusion  to  a  warlike  attack.  [So  also 
EiBLE  Com.,  Kprtz.  Henostenberq. — A.  G.] 
We  offer  the  following  translation: — 
And  onward  unto  the  Red  Sea  (JH  or  JiT")  and 

(unto)  the  brooks  of  Arnon,  and  unto  the  upper 
current  of  the  brook  which  reaches  unto  the 
dwelling  of  Ar,  and  leaneth  upon  the  border  of 
Moab.  The  passage  will  then  stand  connected 
with  the  crossing  of  the  Arnon.  It  compares  the 
passage  of  the  separated  streams  of  the  upper 
Arnon  with  the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea.  It  sees 
in  both  events  something  alike,  a  heroic  deed, 
corresponding  to  the  divine  summons  or  call. 
The  rf2T\,  come  on,  appears  here  in  JH  or  irT"  and 

T  T  '     1.  L  ..  ..^ 

ri-  of  direction  as  the  suifix  of  the  noun  £310- 

T 

What  motive  could  there  be  for  the  celebration 
in  a  heroic  song  of  a  mere  geographical  notice 
in  and  for  itself?  The  Sept.  ef?Jyi(Ts  may  mean 
He  glorified,  made  to  shine  the  Red  Sea  and  the 
brooks  of  Arnon,  viz.,  through  His  leading  and 
power.  The  Vulg.  gives  us  a  peculiar  idea  of 
the  passage;  as  He  did  in  the  Red  Sea,  so  He 
will  do  in  the  brooks  of  Arnon.  The  rocks  of  the 
torrents  were  carried  down,  so  that  they  first 
rested  in  Ar,  then  lay  on  the  borders  of  Moab. 
For  the  distinction  between  the  Arnon  referred 
to  and  the  modern  Ar  in  Moab,  see  Keil  [also 
Hengstenberq's  Gesch.  Bileams,  Bible  Com., 
Keil.  The  Ar  here  referred  to  is  the  city  of 
Moab  on  the  border  of  Arnon,  which  is  at  the 
end  of  tlie  Moabitish  territory  (chap.  xxii.  3(5). 
It  was  called  Areopolis  by  the  Greeks,  and  pro- 
bably stood  at  the  confluence  of  the  Lejum  and 
Mojeb  in  the  fine  green  pasture  land  in  the  midst 
of  which  tliere  is  a  hill  with  some  ruins.  This 
Ar  is  not  to  be  identified  with  the  modern  Areo- 
polis in  Rabbah,  which  stood  six  hours  south  of 
the  Lpj'Hn.— A.  G.]  The  book  of  the  wars 
of  the  Lord. — Some  have  regarded  it  as  an 
Amoritisb  hook  of  the  conflicts  of  Baal;  others 
attribute  to  it  a  late  origin  in  the  time  of  Je- 
hoshaphat ;  but  it  clearly  belongs  to  the  Israel- 
itish  epic,  and  from  its  marks  of  extreme  simpli- 
city may  be  regarded  as  tlie  first  new  awakening 
of  inspired  song  in  the  rejuvenated  Israel.  The 
book  is  named  only  here,  but  the  new  poesy 
bloomed  in  other  productions — especially  in  the 
song  of  the  well.  [The  reference  to  this  book 
has  been  seized  upon  by  the  negative  critics  as  a 
grave  objection  to  the  Mosaic  authorship  of 
Numbers.  "They  have  thought  it  incredible 
that  Bucli  a  work  should  have  been  extant  at  the 
time  of  Moses.  But  there  is  nothing  more  natu- 
ral, or  which  occurs  more  constantly  in  the  pro- 
gress of  humanity  under  like  circumstances,  than 
a  body  of  song  bursting  out  irrepressibly  with 
the  new  fresh  life  of  a  people  and  commemo- 
rating the  great  events  in  its  early  history.  As 
liAUMOARTK.N  well  observes  that  such  a  book 
should  arise  in  the  days  of  Moses,  is  so  far 
from  being  a  surprising  fact,  that  we  can  scarcely 


imagine  a  more  suitable  time  for  the  commence- 
ment of  such  a  work.  To  the  cavil  that  the  wars 
of  the  Lord  had  scarcely  begun  when  Moses  died 
and  hence  they  could  not  have  been  referred  to 
in  any  work  written  by  him,  Henqstenberq 
replies  :  When  Moses  wrote  the  Amalekites,  the 
king  of  Arad,  the  king  of  Sihon,  and  Og  king  of 
Bashan,  were  all  conquered.  But  the  idea  of 
the  wars  of  the  Lord  in  the  usage  of  the  Penta- 
teuch is  much  wider  than  this  (comp.  Ex.  xii. 
41,  51  ;  xiv.  14,25;  xv.  3;  Num.  xxxiii.  1).  All 
the  signs  and  wonders  in  Egypt  were  regarded 
as  a  contest  of  Jehovah  against  Egypt  and  its 
gods ;  the  march  through  the  desert  is  the  march 
of  an  armed  host  of  whom  Jehovah  is  the  leader, 
so  that  there  was  the  richest  material  for  a  book. 
And  the  very  object  of  the  book  is  to  glorify  the 
leading  of  Jehovah  as  He  brings  His  people  oa 
their  way."  So  also  St.\nlet,  History  of  the 
Jewish  Church,  vol.  I.,  p.  207. — A.  G.]. 

And  from  thence  they  went  to  Beer — 
well  or  place  of  wells.  The  encampment  is 
marked  by  a  longed-for  well  in  which  the  pro- 
mise of  Jehovah  is  accomplished  through  human 
effort.  This  well  was  dug  by  the  princes  with 
their  sceptres,  i.  e.,  under  their  leading,  greeted 
by  the  festal  hymn  of  the  people  and  embalmed  in 
a  song.  The  fountain  thus  praised  lies  still  in  the 
open  desert  somewhere.  The  place  cannot  be  de- 
finitely determined,  probably  is  the  same  with 
Beer-E'im  in  the  north-east  of  Moab.  And  from 
the  desert  they  w^ent  to  Mattanah. — They 
pushed  their  way  into  the  inhabited  territory  of 
the  Amorites  to  the  west  or  northwest.  It  was 
not  their  purpose  to  enter  the  land  of  the  Amorite 
in  a  hostile  manner,  for  the  goal  of  their  jour- 
ney lay  across  the  Jordan.  The  reference  in 
Deuteronomy :  Then  sent  I  messengers  out  of 
the  wilderness  of  Kedemoth  (the  east)  unto  Si- 
hon king  of  Heshbon  with  words  of  peace,  Deut. 
ii.  26,  is  to  this  time  and  place.  But  when  Si- 
hon refused  them  a  peaceable  transit,  the  con- 
quest of  his  land  took  place  by  divine  command, 
(Deut.  ii.  31,  see  also  Keil,  p.  150).  The  en- 
campments after  that  at  the  "well"  or  Beer, 
must  have  preceded  the  later-mentioned  war  with 
Sihon,  since  the  advance  of  the  great  mass  of  the 
people  must  have  been  protected  by  a  victorious 
warlike  expedition,  which  must  have  been  sent 
out  between  the  stations  Beer  and  Mattanah. 
The  engagement  took  place  at  Jahaz  [Keil  Jahza] 
on  the  border  of  the  Amoritish  territory  toward 
the  desert.  The  desire  of  the  writer  to  complete 
the  list  of  stations  led  him  to  anticipate  the  re- 
cord of  the  last  encampments,  and  this  the  more 
that  he  might  connect  the  subjugation  of  Og  in 
Bashan  with  the  victory  over  Sihou  ;  as  indeed 
it  was  only  after  the  destruction  of  Og  from  the 
land  of  the  Amorites,  that  the  peaceful  settle- 
ment of  the  people  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  took 
place  (comp.  ver.  31  with  xxii.  1).  For  the  com- 
parison of  the  stations  in  this  section  with  the 
general  register,  chap,  xxxiii.,  see  that  chapter 
and  notes.  [Aside  from  any  successful  identifi- 
cation of  the  places  mentioned,  two  principles, 
as  Kurtz,  Gesch.  d.  Alt.  Bund.,  Vol.  II.,  453 
well  argues  remove  all  diflSculty.  In  the  first 
place  we  are  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  encamp- 
ment of  such  a  vast  body,  especially  when  they 
reached  a  cultivated  and  thickly  settled  region, 


CHAP.  XXI.  10-20. 


115 


must  have  included  a  number  of  places,  some  of 
which  may  appear  in  one  record,  and  others  in 
another,  while  both  are  strictly  accurate.     But 
it  is  more  important  to  observe  the  diversity  in 
the  character  of  the  different  records.     Chapter 
xxxiii.  is    purely   statistical.     The  author  there 
enumerates  only  those  stations,  i.  e.,  regular  en- 
campments, where  Israel  made  a  considerable 
stay,  and  hence  not  only  constructed  an  organized 
camp,  but  set  up  the  tabernacle.     Here  his  inte- 
rest is  not  statistical,  but  historical,  and  only 
those  places  which  were  of  historical  importance 
are  mentioned.     Hence  the  names  of  the  stations 
between  mount  Hor  and  Ije-abarim,  are  omitted 
in  this  record,   for  they   were  of  no   historical 
moment,  while  we  have  a  larger  number  between 
Ije-abarim  and  the  plains  of  Moab  because  they 
were  historically  memorable,  although  they  may 
not   have  been  regular    encampments. — A.  G.]. 
We  content  ourselves  here  with  a  mere   outline 
of  their  march  through  the  eastern  desert.   Go- 
ing up  Wady  El  Ithm,  and  crossing  the  border 
of  Edom,  they  were  free  to  wander  through  the 
worthless   common   domain  of  the   desert  until 
they   reached    Beer  —  probably  Beer-Elim — the 
well  which  the  princes  dug  with  their  staves,  i. 
e.,    presumably    acquired    as    military    leaders. 
Then  they  moved  to  Mattanah,  i.  e.,  gift,  because 
it  was  the  first  camping  place  in  the  dominion 
of  the  Amorite  king  Sihon.     They  must  now  have 
passed  the  field  of  conflict  with  Sihon,  for  (ver. 
23)  Sihon  went  out  against  Israel  into  the  wilder- 
ness.    The  Israelites  moreover  could  not  have 
settled  peaceably  in  the  Amoritish  country  with- 
out some  victory  like  this.     And  from  Matta- 
nah   to    Nahaliel,    "Rivers   of  God."      The 
name  corresponds  to   the  description:   Abarim 
before  Nebo.     We  are  ever  coming  back  to  the 
mountain   chain  Abarim.     Nebo,   without  being 
definitely  determined,  may  be  regarded  as  form- 
ing one  of  the  peaks  of  Pisgah  lying  over  against 
Jericho.      In  this  region  where   several  wadys 
empty  into    the   Jordan,   and    where  the  long- 
wished  for  Jordan  valley  first  appeared  in  sight, 
they  may  well  have   said  Nahaliel,   "  rivers  of 
God."   Knobel.     [Keil,  Kurtz,     Bible  Com.], 
identify  this  place   with  Encheileh,  which  now 
lay  far  behind  the  Israelites.     [Keil:  Encheileh 
is  the  name  given  to  the  Lejum  until  its  junction 
with  the  Saide.     The  Israelites  then  went  from 
Beer  northwesterly  to   Mattanah   or  Tedun,  and 
thence  westerly  to  the  northern  bank  of  Encheileh. 
— A.  G.].     And  from  ITahaliel  to   Bamoth. 
We  can  scarcely  regard  Bamoth  (heights),  with 
Kbil  and  others,  as  identical  with  Bamoth-Baal, 
since  Israel  had  before  this  encamped  at  Nebo, 
and  certainly  had  passed  the  place  where  Balaam 
was  first  solicited  to  curse  Israel.     The  people 
were  at  first  busy  in  taking  possession  of  Hesh- 
bon,  at  the  same   time  capturing  Jaazer  on   the 
extreme  eastern  border  toward  the  land  of  the 
Ammonites.     Then  their  course  lay  northwards 
towards  Bashan,  and  Og,  king  of  Bashan,  came 
out  to  meet  them  at  Edrei.     But    as    Edrei   is 
found  far  to  the  north  in  Bashan,  it  is  not  to  be 
supposed  that  the  armed  host  should  have  left 
the  people  behind  them  defenceless  in  the  plains 
of  Moab,   where  Balak   might   easily    have    de- 
stroyed them.    We  therefore  accept  fully  the  con- 
olosion  that  Bamoth,  which  is  here  mentioned, 


was  the  basis  of  their  warlike  operations  against 
Bashan  in  upper  Qilead.  Places  bearing  this 
name  "heights  "  are  common  all  over  the  world. 
After  the  conquest  of  Bashan  they  returned 
nearly  to  their  former  position  in  the  plains  of 
Moab.  [The  top  of  Pisgah  whieh  looketh 
toward  Jeshimon  :  across  the  desert.  Ki;il  : 
"  The  field  of  Moab  was  a  portion  of  the  table- 
land which  stretches  from  Rabbath  Ammon,  to 
the  Arnon,  and  which  extends  to  the  desert  of 
Arabia  towards  the  east,  and  slopes  ofi^  to  the 
Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea  towards  the  west.  The 
valley  in  this  table  land  was  upon  the  height  of 
Pisgah,  i.  e.,  the  northern  part  of  the  mountains 
of  Abarim,  and  looked  across  the  desert  Jeshi- 
mon. Jeshimon,  the  desert,  is  the  plain  of  Ghor 
El  Belka,  i.  e.,  the  valley  of  desolation  on  the 
north-eastern  border  of  the  Dead  Sea.  The  val- 
ley in  which  the  Israelites  were  encamped  is  to 
be  sought  for  to  the  west  of  Heshbon,  on  the 
mountain  range  of  Abarim,  which  slopes  off  into 
the  Ghor  El  Belka."  Kurtz  holds  the  same  view 
and  identifies  this  position  with  the  field  of  Zo- 
phim,  chap,  xxiii.  14.  Bible  Com.:  "Pisgah 
was  a  ridge  of  the  Abarim  mountain  westward 
from  Heshbon,  and  Nebo  a  town  on  or  near  that 
ridge,  and  apparently  lying  on  its  western  slope." 
See  also  Grove's  Art.  Moab,  Smith's  Bib.  Diet., 
Palmer,  The  Desert  and  the  Exodus,  Vol.  II.  p. 
472  et  seq. — A.  G.]. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  [God  ever  leads  His  people  by  away  which 
they  know  not,  but  leads  them  safely  and  well. 
They  pass  through  the  wilderness,  but  come  out 
upon  the  top  of  Pisgah  and  then  across  the  Jor- 
dan. All  along  the  fountains  spring  up — not 
without  human  agency,  and  yet  flowing  with  the 
fulness  of  divine  blessing. — A.  G.]. 

2.  [The  doctrine  of  God's  providence,  and  the 
duty  of  an  implicit  trust  in  it  ;  of  a  hearty  and 
cheerful  compliance  with  it ;  and  the  safety  and 
welfare  of  tjiose  who  so  yield  to  it  are  clearly 
seen  in  this  narrative. — A.  G.]. 

HOMILETICAL    HINTS. 

The  march  as  it  overcomes  all  obstacles.  The 
passage  over  the  river  of  Arnon,  a  reminiscence 
of  the  passage  through  the  Red  Sea,  and  a  pledge 
of  the  passage  over  the  Jordan.  [Henry,  ver. 
10.  "  It  were  well  if  we  would  thus  do  in  our 
way  to  heaven,  vers.  14, 15,  what  God  has  wrought 
for  us,  what  He  did  at  such  a  time,  and  in  such 
a  place  ought  to  be  distinctly  remembered,  ver. 
18.  God  promised  to  give  them  water,  but  they 
must  open  the  ground  to  receive  it.  God's  fa- 
vors are  to  be  expected  in  the  use  of  sucii  means 
as  lie  within  our  power."  The  wells — "foun- 
tains " — along  the  way.  Wordsworth  refers 
upon  the  wells  of  the  Bible  to  Gen.  xxi.  19,  31 ; 
xxiv.  13  ;  xxvi.  15  ;  xxix.  10;  Ex.  ii.  15 ;  iii.  1 ; 
John  iv.  6.  Moses  gathers  the  people,  God  gives 
the  water.  This  is  a  work  which  God  is  ever 
doing  in  His  church.  He  gives  the  waters  in 
His  holy  word,  in  His  blessed  Son  of  whom  Moses 
wrote,  and  in  the  living  waters  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
whom  Christ  sent. — A.  G,]. 


116  NUMBERS. 


SECOND   SECTION. 

G.  —  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  and  Og  king  of  Bashan. 
Chap.  XXI.  21— XXII.  1.     Deut.  II.  26— III.  22. 

21,  22  And  Israel  sent  messengers  unto  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  saying.  Let  me 
pass  through  thy  land  ;  we  will  not  turn  into  the  fields,  or  into  the  vineyards  ;  we 
will  not  drink  of  the  waters  of  the  well :  but  we  will  go  along  by  the  king's  high 

23  way,  until  we  be  past  thy  borders.  And  Sihon  would  not  sufier  Israel  to  pass 
through  his  border :  but  Sihon  gathered  all  his  people  together,  and  went  out 
against  Israel  into  the  wilderness :  and  he  came  to  Jahaz,  and  fought  against 

24  Israel.  And  Israel  smote  him  with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  possessed  his  land 
from  Arnon  unto  Jabbok,  even  unto  the  children  of  Ammon  :  for  the  border  of 

25  the  children  of  Ammon  tvas  strong.  And  Israel  took  all  these  cities  :  and  Israel 
dwelt  in  all  the  cities  of  the  Amorites,  in  Heshbon,  and  in  all  the  Villages  thereof. 

26  For  Heshbon  was  the  city  of  Sihon  the  king  of  the  Amorites,  who  had  fought 
against  the  former  king  of  Moab,  and  taken  all  his  land  out  of  his  hand,  even  unto 

27  Arnon.     Wherefore  they  that  speak  in  proverbs  say, 

Come  unto  Heshbon, 

Let  the  city  of  Sihon  be  built  and  prepared : 

28  For  there  is  a  fire  gone  out  of  Heshbon, 
A  flame  from  the  city  of  Sihon  ; 

It  hath  consumed  Ar  of  Moab, 

And  the  lords  of  the  high  places  of  Arnon, 

29  Woe  to  thee,  Moab  ! 

Thou  art  undone,  O  people  of  Chemosh : 
He  hath  given  his  sons  that  escaped, 
And  his  daughters,  into  captivity 
Unto  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites. 

30  We  have  shot  at  them; 

Heshbon  is  perished,  even  unto  Dibon, 

And  we  have  laid  them  waste  even  unto  Nophah, 

Which  reacheth  unto  Medeba. 

81, 82  Thus  Israel  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  Amorites.  And  Moses  sent  to  spy  out  Jaa- 
zer,  and  they  took  the  villages  thereof,  and  drove  out  the  Amorites  that  were 
there. 

33  And  they  turned  and  went  up  by  the  way  of  Bashan :  and  Og  the  king  of  Bashan 

34  went  out  against  them,  he,  and  all  his  people,  to  the  battle  at  Edrei.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Fear  him  not :  for  I  have  delivered  him  into  thy  hand, 
and  all  his  people,  and  his  land ;  and  thou  shalt  do  to  him  as  thou  didst  unto 

35  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  which  dwelt  at  Heshbon.  So  they  smote  him,  and 
his  sons,  and  all  his  people,  until  there  was  none  left  him  alive :  and  they  possessed 
his  land. 

Chap.  XXII.  And  the  children  of  Israel  set  forward,  and  pitched  in  the  plains  of 
Moab  on  this  side  Jordan  by  Jericho. 

1  Heb.  daughteri. 


CHAP.    XXI.  21— XXII.  1. 


117 


TEXTUAL   AND   GEAMMA.TICAL, 

Ver.  27.  Btinsen,  De  Wette  :  the  poets ;  Zunz,  Hiesch  :  the  proverb  speakers.    [The  Heb.  D^ /K'Dn   to  make 
like,  very  aptly  designates  Heb.  poems  in  which  one  was  made  like,  parallel,  to  another. — A.  G.]. 

[Ver.  30.  Lange,  we  came  upon  them.    Bunsen,  Fderst,  Ewald,  we  have  burned.    Zuxz,  we  have  thrown  them 
down.    HiBSCH,  we  came  and  overthrew  them.    D1"'3  formerly  regarded  as  a  noun,  is  now  accepted  as  the  first 

T      ■ 

person  plu.  Imp.  Kal.  from  nT  with  the  suffix  of  the  3d  person.    Hirsch  makes  a  fut.  Kal.,  and  refers  for  suffix 
to  Ex.  XX.  30.— A.  G.] 

Ver.  30.  *lt?S  Keri  jyx,  and  hence  is  rendered  by  De  Wette  and  others,  a  fire,  burns  to  Medeba. 

Chap.  XXII.  Ver.  1.   Plains.    Keil,  Steppes  of  Moab.    Lange,  fields. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

The  message  of  Israel  to  Sihon  king  of  Hesh- 
bon,  is  like  that  sent  to  the  king  of  Edom.  We 
learn  from  Judg.  xi.  17,  that  a  similar  message 
was  sent  to  Moab ;  and  we  may  infer,  therefore, 
that  besides  a  direct  passage  through  Edom,  they 
entertained  a  hope  tiiat  they  might  press  rapidly 
on  between  the  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  the 
Edomitish  territory,  without  seriously  irritating 
the  Edomites;  as  indeed  they  had  later  to  cross 
the  southern  extremity  of  the  land  of  Edom. 
Israel  had  originally  only  the  promise  of  Canaan 
west  of  the  Jordan.  Even  Peraea  was  not  included 
in  the  promise.  This  limitation  was  carefully 
regarded  in  the  message  to  Sihon.  But  since 
the  Amorites  at  Heshbon,  were  included  in  the 
condemnation  of  the  Canaanites,  so  the  Israelites 
were  not  only  at  liberty  to  force  their  way 
through  their  land,  but  were  under  obligation  to 
do  so  by  the  injunction  of  Jehovah.  How  Og, 
king  of  Bashan,  in  the  northern  part  of  Gilead, 
became  involved  in  the  conflict,  is  not  explained ; 
a  sufficient  explanation  may  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  successful  assertion  of  a  religious  and 
moral  dominion  over  Heshbon  or  lower  Gilead, 
was  not  possible  without  the  conquest  of  Bashan. 
Then  we  must  bear  in  mind  also  that  in  Deut.  iii. 
8,  the  two  kings  stand  in  close  connection  as 
"kings  of  the  Amorites."  KNOBEii  strives  in  a 
strange  way  to  prove  from  Deut.  iii.  10,  that 
there  were  two  Edreis  [Adraa ;  see  for  its  loca- 
tion and  description.  Porter  :  Damascus,  Vol. 
II.,  p.  271,  and  GiantOities  of  Bashan,  p.  94  sqq., 
and  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.,  art.  Edrei. — A.  G.].  A 
southern  to  be  distinguished  from  the  northern. 
He  gives  as  the  reason  that  "  Og  surely  did  not 
allow  the  Israelites  to  reach  the  northern  bound- 
ary of  his  kingdom  before  he  went  out  to  meet 
them."  [So  also  Keil,  Bible  Com. — A.  G.]. 
The  conjecture  however  is  obvious  that  the  terror 
which  the  victory  over  Sihon  spread  far  and 
wide,  may  have  led  the  people  of  Bashan  to  re- 
treat, until  they  found  it  necessary  to  make  a 
stand  at  Edrei,  their  second  capital,  and  not  far 
from  their  chief  city  Ashtaroth.  [Porter  says, 
"The  situation  is  most  remarkable,  and  in  se- 
lecting the  site,  everything  seems  to  have  been 
sacrificed  to  security  and  strength."  There  was 
an  all-sufficient  reason  therefore  why  they  should 
make  their  final  stand  here. — A.  G. ]. 

It  is  recorded  here  that  the  king  of  the 
Amorites  had  fought  against  the  former 
king  of  Moab,  and  taken  all  his  land  out 
of  his  hand,  even  unto  Aruou ;  not,  how- 


ever,  that   they   had  reached  the  Ghor  to  the 
west.      Tliey    had   thrust  themselves   by    force 
between  ]Moab  to  the  right  and  the  desert  and 
the  land   of  the  Ammonites  to  the  left.     Moab 
must  at  this  time  have   exercised  dominion    ia 
the  border-land  to  the  Ghor,  for  otherwise  the 
plains  of  Moab  would  not  have  been  spoken  of 
here.     If  the  dominion  of  the  plains  of  Moab 
had  been  now  in   the   hands    of  the  Amorites, 
Balak,  the  king  of  Moab,  would  only  have  re- 
joiced at  their  overthrow,  and  would  have  sought 
alliance   with    Israel.     On    the    other   side    the 
Amorites  had  not  been  able  to  conquer  the  chil- 
dren of   Ammon   in  their  mountain-fastnesses, 
ver.  24.     The  Israelites  were  prevented  by  an 
express  direction  of  Jehovah  not  to  attempt  an 
assault  against  these  strong  borders  (Deut.  ii.  37). 
Sihon  had  as  yet  no  suspicion  of  the  strength 
of  the  rejuvenated  Israel,  and  went  out  against 
him  beyond  his  own   bounds,  as   far   as  Jabaz. 
But  Israel  smo'.e  him  ^with  the  edge  of  the 
sword,    i.  e.    utterly   destroyed   him.      He  then 
took  possession  of  his  land,  described  as  reacii- 
ing    from    Arnon    unto   Jabbok.     The    military 
occupation  is  spoken  of  here;  its  political  in- 
corporation in  the  land  of  Israel  followed  after- 
ward (see  chap,  xxxii.  33).     They  dwelt  in 
Heshlson  and  all  her  daughters,  i.  e.  Hesh- 
bon, the  capital  city,   and    its   surrounding  and 
dependent  villages  or  cities.    "Wherefore  they 
that   speak   proverbs.     Why  the  proverbs  ? 
Why  not  wherefore  says  the   song?     The  enig- 
matical form  is  probably  chosen  by  design,  so 
as  to  express  the  thought:  now  is  Heshbon  laid 
waste,  as  it  just  before  had  laid  waste  the  Moab- 
ite  capital  Ar ;  and  thus  the  land  falls   to  the 
Israelites,    who    could   not   have    held    it   as    a 
Moabitish  territory.     Therefore  come  unto 
Heshbon ;    build   it   up    anew.     The    purpose 
and  burden   of  the   song    is  that  Israel  should 
restore  the  ruins,  rebuild  the  city.     We  cannot 
agree  with  Meyer  and   Ewald   [Keil,   Kurtz, 
Bible  Com.   in  part  also. — A.  G.]   that  the  ap- 
peal is'  to  the  Amorites  and   ironical.     At  first 
the  fact  is  emphasized  that  this  land   has  been 
wrested  from  Moab  by  right  of  war.     The  Amo- 
rites had  taken  it  from  Moab.    Then  the  thought 
uttered  is  that  the  Israelites  have  wrested  it  in 
turn  from  the  Amorites.     [Ewald's  interpreta- 
tion makes  the  song  lifelike,  beautiful  and  stri- 
kinc:   "Come,  come  home  to  Heshbon — the  city 
which  no  longer  affords  you  a   home  or  roof; 
rebuild,  if  you  can,  the  city  which  now  lies  for- 
ever in  ruins."     Thus   the  victors  cry   to   the 
vanquished.     Bat  in  order  to  explain  the  guilt 
of  the  conquered,  a  second  voice  verifies  the  ear- 


118 


NUMBERS. 


lier  history.  Is  this  the  Heshbon  from  whose 
gates  went  the  conquering  hosts  against  Moab, 
poor  Moab,  over  whose  fall  and  the  weakness 
of  his  god  Chemosh  the  saddest  complaints  fill 
the  air — that  god  who  had  left  all  his  sons  and 
daughters,  i.  e.  all  his  worshippers,  to  be  driven 
out  and  carried  captive  by  Sihon?  But  then, 
■while  that  victorious  host,  sweeping  Moab  with 
fire  and  sword,  rests  in  fancied  security,  then 
the  loud  voice  of  the  victor  comes  back  to  the 
beginning  of  his  song:  Then  burned  we  it,  and 
wasted  it,  from  Heshbon,  the  central  royal  city, 
to  the  utmost  limits  of  his  land,  and  thus  Israel 
avenged  Moab. — A.  G.] 

For  there  is  a  fire  gone  out  of  Heshbon. 
The  occupation  of  lleshoou  is  anticipated.  The 
city  is  viewed  as  a  point  of  departure  for  a  con- 
quest which  shouM  be  completed  by  the  torch 
of  war.  At  of  Moab.  The  earlier  capital  of 
Moab  lay  then  in  this  part  of  its  territory. 
Moab  was  not  stricken  without  cause  or  as 
guiltless.  It  was  the  people  of  Chemosh, 
subduer,  vanquisher.  [Fuerst  derives  it  from  a 
root  which  leads  to  the  signification  "fire-god  ;" 
others,  "sun-god."  The  inscription  on  the 
Moabite  stone  shows  that  the  worship  of  Che- 
mosh was  associated  with  that  of  the  Phceniciau 
Astarte.  Ginsburg,  The  Moabite  Stone. — A.  G.] 
As  the  god  of  war,  human  victims  were  oflFered 
to  him,  as  to  Milcom  and  Moloch.  He  is  not 
therefore  to  be  regarded  as  identical  with  Baal 
Peer  (Keil)  ;  for  that  idol  as  the  god  of  lust  aud 
pleasure  was  Baal,  as  the  god  of  misfortune, 
despair  and  of  human  sacrifices,  he  was  Moloch. 
[It  seems  probable,  however,  that  these  heathen 
idols  were  worshipped  under  different  forms 
according  to  the  special  attribute  which  was  in 
view,  or  which  called  forth  the  special  v/orship. 
He  might  thus  be  the  god  of  war,  and  at  another 
time,  regarding  prominently  another  attribute, 
the  god  of  lust.  See  Bible  Com.  note  ia  loc. — 
A.  G.]  Moab  perished  as  the  people  of  Che- 
mosh. The  distinction,  that  the  sons  took  to 
flight  back  across  the  Arnon,  while  the  daughters 
fell  captives  to  Sihon,  is  entirely  true  to  nature. 
Then  follows  the  record  of  Israel's  victory  and 
conquest.  We  shot  at  them,  overthrew  them. 
See  textual  note.  Heshbon  is  perished, 
even  unto  Dibon,  and  -we  have  laid  them 
■waste  even  unto  Nophah.  The  textual 
difficulties  in  the  last  clause  seem  to  be  best 
solved  by  following  the  Sept.,  which  some  MSS. 
favor,  and  read  fire  upon,  or  to  Medeba.  [Keil, 
Bible  Com.,  Wordsworth,  Samaritan  text. — 
A.  G.]  The  confounding  of  Nophah  and  Nobach 
increases  the  confusion.  We  suggest,  however, 
this  reading:  to  the  ridge  of  hills  which  reaches 
unto  Medeba.  We  read  in  Isa.  xv.  2:  ''He  is 
gone  up  to  Bajith  and  Dibon,  the  high  places, 
to  weep;"  and  in  the  same  connection:  "Moab 
shall  howl  over  Nebo  and  over  Medeba."  Even 
now  it  is  said  that  Medeba  lies  on  a  rocky  hill 
about  four  miles  southeast  of  Heshbon.  It 
seems  to  be  a  sketch  of  the  new  possession,  and 
reveals  in  its  very  terms  the  tender  conscience 
of  Moses  which  prevented  him  from  pushing  his 
conquests  into  Moab. 

Ver.  .32.  Jaazer.  The  special  allusion  to 
Jaazer  between  the  narrative  of  the  conquests 
of  Heshbon  and  Bashan  seems  to  imply  that  it 


was  an  independent  province  lying  between  the 
two  small  kingdoms.  The  city  with  her  villages, 
daughters,  was  taken  and  laid  waste.  Jaazer 
lay  in  the  direction  of  Rabbath-Ammon  (Phila- 
delphia), "  ten  miles  to  the  west,  and  is  to  be 
found  probably  in  the  ruins  Es  Szir  at  the  source 
of  the  Nahr  Szir,  in  the  neighborhood  of  which 
Seetzen  found  pools,  which  are  probably  the 
remains  of  '  the  sea  of  Jaazer '  alluded  to  Jer. 
xlviii.  32."  Keil.  Thence  the  army  moved 
eastwards.  To  human  view  the  Israelites  may 
have  seemed  rash,  in  approaching  so  nearly  the 
powerful  Ammonites.  And  they  turned,  for 
Ammon  could  not  be  attacked.  Hence  the  march 
tends  northward  towards  Og,  king  of  Bashan. 
It  is  needless  to  ask  from  what  point  Israel 
undertook  the  expedition  against  Bashan.  "  The 
kingdom  of  Og  included  the  northern  half  of 
Gilead,  i.  e.  the  region  between  the  Jabbok  and 
the  Mandhur  (Deut.  iii.  13;  Josh.  xii.  5),  the 
modern  Jebel  Ajlun,  and  all  Bashan,  or  all  the 
region  of  Argob  (Deut.  iii.  4,  14),  the  modern 
plain  of  Jaulan  and  Hauran."  Keil.  Keil  fol- 
lows Knobel,  and  recognizes  a  double  Edrei  in 
Bashan ;  but  for  the  true  Edrei  at  which  the 
kingdom  was  overthrown  by  the  Israelites,  comp. 
Von  Raumek's  Geog.^  p.  247.  It  has  been  in- 
ferred fi'om  Deut.  iii.  10  that  a  second  Edrei 
existed  on  the  northwest  border  of  Bashan, 
which  is  supposed  to  have  been  discovered  in 
the  ruins  Zorah  or  Edrah.  VoN  Raumer  desig- 
nates this  place,  however,  as  Esra  or  El  Ira,  and 
describes  the  ruins  of  both  places.  [The  weight 
of  authority  at  present  is  decidedly  in  favor  of 
two  Edreis. — The  significant  name  might  easily 
have  been  attached  to  different  places,  in  a 
country  naturally  strong  in  fastnesses. — A.  G.] 
[The  plains  of  Moab.  After  the  conquest 
of  the  two  Amorite  kingdoms,  the  Israelites 
came  down  from  the  heights  of  Pisgah,  and 
pitched  in  the  Arhoth  Moab.  These  plains  in 
the  northern  Arabah  stretched  from  Beth-Jesh- 
imoth,  ''  houses  of  mortar,"  to  Abel  Shittim, 
"  the  acacia  meadow."  Here  they  remained  till 
the  death  of  Moses.  The  camp  was  beyond  the 
Jordan,  in  the  plain,  as  Lange  supposes,  still  in 
the  possession  of  Moab. — A.  G.] 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

The  song  of  triumph  on  the  Arnon  reminds 
us  in  its  mysterious  words  of  the  song  at  the 
passage  through  the  Red  Sea.  The  revival  of 
the  spirit  of  song  in  the  people  is  also  an  awa- 
kening of  the  heroic  spirit  which  won  the  victo- 
ries over  Sihon  and  Bashan.  They  are  insepa- 
rably connected  in  all  ages. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS, 

The  two  great  victories  east  of  Jordan  fore- 
shadow the  conquest  of  the  promised  land. 
New  life,  new  songs.  [Henry:  "God  gave 
Israel  these  successes  while  Moses  was  yet  with 
them,  both  for  his  comfort,  that  he  might  see 
the  beginning  of  that  glorious  work,  which  he 
must  not  live  to  see  the  finishing  of,  and  for 
their  encouragement  in  the  war  of  Canaan  under 
Joshua.  It  was  the  earnest  of  great  things."— 
A.  G.] 


CHAP.  XXII.  2-8.  119 


FIFTH    DIVISION. 

ISRAEL'S  FINAL  PREPARATION  DURING  ITS  RESIDENCE  IN  THE   PLAINS  (STEPPES\ 

OF  MOAB. 

Chapters  XXII.-XXXVL 

FIRST    SECTION. 

Balak  and  Balaam,  or  the  Curse  as  a  Weapon  against  Israel  Frustrated. 

Chapters  XXII.  2— XXIV.  25. 


Survey:  a.  Balak's  resort  to  Balaam,  chap. 
xxii.  2-7,  h.  Balaam's  formal,  but  heartless 
opposition,  vers.  8-14.  c.  Balak's' s  second  at- 
tempt, Balaam's  irresolution,  and  the  beginning 
of  God's  judgment  upon  him  in  the  permission 
of  the  journey,  vers.  15-21.  d.  Balaam's  jour- 
ney and  his  speaking  ass,  vers.  22-40.  e.  The  |  xxiv.  25, 
first  blessing  by  Balaam,  chap.  xxii.  41 — xxiii. 


10.  /.  The  second  blessing  by  Balaam,  chap, 
xxiii.  11-26.  g.  Balaam's  apparent  victory  over 
temptation.  His  third  and  greater  blessing. 
And  as  an  appendix  his  angry  announcement  of 
judgment  upon  Moab  and  other  enemies  of 
Israel,  at  last  upon  all  heathen,  chap,  xxiii.  26— 


FIRST    SECTION. 

A.— BALAK'S  RESORT  TO  BALAAM. 
Chapter  XXII.  2-8. 

2  And  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor  saw  all  that  Israel  had  done  to  the  Amorites. 

3  And  Monb  was  sore  afraid  of  the  people,  because  they  voere  many :  and  Moab  was 

4  distressed  because  of  the  children  of  Israel.  And  Moab  said  unto  the  elders  of 
Midian,  Now  shall  this  company  lick  up  all  thai  are  round  about  us,  as  the  ox 
licketh  up  the  grass  of  the  field.     And  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor  wm  king  of  the 

5  Moabites  at  that  time.  He  sent  messengers  therefore  unto  Balaam  the  son  of  Beor 
to  Pethor,  which  is  by  the  river  of  the  laud  of  the  children  of  his  people,  to  call 
him,  saying,  Behold,  there  is  a  people  come  out  from  Egypt :  behold,  they  cover 

6  the  face^  of  the  earth,  and  they  abide  over  against  me :  Come  now  therefore,  I  pray 
thee,  curse  me  this  people ;  for  they  are  too  mighty  for  me :  peradventure  I  shall 
prevail,  thai  we  may  smite  them,  and  that  I  may  drive  them  out  of  the  land :  for  I 
wot  that  he  whom  thou  blessest  is  blessed,  and  he  whom  thou  cursest  is  cursed. 

7  And  the  elders  of  Moab  and  the  elders  of  Midian  departed  with  the  rewards  of 
divination  in  their  hand ;  and  they  came  unto  Balaam,  and  spake  unto  him  the 

8  words  of  Balak.  And  he  said  unto  them.  Lodge  here  this  night,  and  I  will  bring 
you  word  again,  as  the  Lord  shall  speak  unto  me :  and  the  princes  of  Moab  abode 
with  Balaam. 

1  Heb.  eye. 

TEXTUAL    AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  4.  Assembly,  this  congregation,  Snpn,  not  a  multitude,  but  an  organized  whole.— A,  G.] 
[Ver.  5.  Riyer  is  emphatic  ;  by  the  rirer,  to  the  land. — A.  G.] 
[Ver.  6.   Wot.  knaw:\ 


120 


NUMBERS. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 

General  preliminary  remarks.     We  shall  only 
reach  a  full  view  of  the  history  of  Balaam  when 
we  consider  the  section  upon  his  prophecies  in 
connection   with   the  record   of  his   end   (chap, 
xxxi.).      Balaam    the    prophet,    the    utterer    of 
blessings  upon  the  people  of  God,  the  so-to-speak 
dogmatic  B.ilaam,  stands  in  striking  contrast  to 
the  Balaam,  the  wily  worldly  politician,  or  the 
moral  tempter  of  the  same  chosen  people.     The 
hidden,  hardly  discovered   reconciliation   of  the 
two  apparently  contradictory  representations  of 
his  character  has  led  Knobel  and  others  to  sup- 
pose that  there  was  a  real  contradiction  in  the 
history;  while,  on  the   other  hand,   Hengsten- 
BERG  and  others  have  clearly  detected  the  fea- 
tures of  the  second  Balaam  in  the  character  of 
the  first,  and  have  recognized  also  the  first  in 
the  later  counsels  of  the  second,  in  his  wily  sug- 
gestions as  to  the  celebrations  of  the  religious 
feasts.     We  have  here  the  living,  vivid  image  of 
a   remarkable    character,    thoroughly  unstable, 
vacillating  in  obedience  to  predominant  motives, 
two-sided;   but  a  character  whose  two-sidedness 
does    not    show    itself   in    distinct,    stereotyped 
qualities,  ever  ready  for  action,  but  is  wrought 
out  in  the  progress   of  a    spiritual   conflict,  in 
which  avarice  and  ambition   gradually  work  his 
ruin.     Below  the  summit  of  sacred   zeal   or  in- 
spiration which  Balaam  seemed  to  have  reached 
begins  the  hidden  process  of  his  ruin.     If  it  is 
asked  how  tiie  Jews  came  to  possess  this  infor- 
mation,   we    may    hazard    the    conjecture,    that 
Balaam's  fall  began   with  double-dealing;  that 
he  had  first  made   disclosures  and   offers   to   the 
Israelites,     by     whose     camp     he     must     pass 
on    his    way     home,     and     then     because     he 
did    not    meet     with    the    expected     favorable 
reception,    returned    secretly    and    by    the    aid 
of  a  Midianitish  nomad  chief,  who  was  probably 
camping  on  the  skirts  of  the  Moabite  territory,  to 
Balak,  in  order  still  to  secure  from  him  the  ''  re- 
ward of  iniquity,"  seeking  all  the  time  to  hide 
from  himself  the   baseness  of  his  conduct  under 
the  pretence  of  a  desire  to  lay  upon  the  broadest 
basis  a  sure  alliance  between  Moab  and  Israel. 
If  he  thought  of  the  realapproaching  downfall  of 
Moab  aod  the  glory  of  Israel,  he  may  have  che- 
rished the  idea  of  such  an  intermediation,  as  even 
Judas  seems  to  have  been  impelled  for  some  time 
by  a  similar  motive.     His  fear  of  the  power  of 
Israel  may  have  determined  him  to  greater  se- 
cresy  in  the  pursuit  of  his  crafty  aim.     Thus  Ba- 
laam in  this  second  form  in  which  his  character 
appears  stands,  in  the  New  Testament,  as  the  pro- 
totype of  a  subtle  tempter  and  destroyer  of  God's 
people,  through    his   teaching    a  false    religious 
freedom.     The    remarkable    portraiture    of    Ba- 
laam's   character  makes  the    deeper  impression 
of  historical  truthfulness,  since  we  find  the  con- 
tradictions appearing  here,  reflected  in  a  thousand 
instances  in  ttie  history  of  religion,  in  ecclesias- 
tical and  profane  history,  as  features  of  an  un- 
stable double-liearted  nature. 

We  note  first  the  contradiction  between  an  os- 
tentafioiiB  !ind  vaunted  faith  in  Jehovah,  and  the 
ever  re-ajipearing  and  strong  lusting  after  the 
rewards  of  unrighteousness,  after  the  glory  and 


the  gold  which  ultimately  leads  him  to  ruin. 
The  seeming  piety,  aliquid  nimis,  at  once  excites 
suspicion ;  the  frequent  use  of  the  name  Jeho- 
vah, the  constant  parade  of  his  dependence  upon 
Jehovah's  directions,  the  multiplication  of  the 
offerings  in  which  he  compels  Balak  to  take  part, 
the  greatness  of  the  sacrifices,  as  if  he  might 
thereby  control  Jehovah  (take  providence  by 
storm,  as  modern  hypocrites  phrase  it)  are  all 
suspicious.  How  much  the  orthodox  and  pietis- 
tic  extravagances  of  to-day  remind  us  of  the 
methods  of  Balaam  !  Then  again,  as  to  the  form 
of  his  faith,  we  must  notice  the  broad  contrast 
between  his  fervent  language  of  rapturous  in- 
spiration, his  soul  borne  away  as  it  were  in 
inspired  vision,  and  his  ordinary  states  of  con- 
sciousness, his  efforts  to  tempt  God,  to  carry  out 
his  evil  selfish  plans  by  means  of  superstitious 
practices,  and  his  aiding  the  heathen  king  and 
his  subjects  in  their  destructive  hostility  to  the 
people  of  God.  Even  the  formal,  oratorical 
exaggeration  is  a  characteristic  feature  of  the 
superficial  nature  of  his  feelings.  How  often 
religious,  poetical,  aesthetic  emotion  proves  itself 
more  or  less  Balaam-like  through  its  contrast 
with  the  real  state  of  the  feelings ! 

The  psychological  problem  of  the  prophetic 
enthusiast  becomes  more  difficult  through  the 
psychological  sympathy  of  his  ass.  This  con- 
trast and  the  change  in  the  parts  of  the  per- 
formance between  the  rider  and  the  animal  on 
which  he  rides,  is  much  greater  than  the  contrast 
between  Don  Quixote  and  his  Sancho-Panza. 

Still  another  contrast,  and  one  which  we  must 
not  overlook,  appears  in  the  great  flourish  and 
display  with  which  Balaam  takes  his  leave  of 
Balak,  and  the  secrecy  in  his  later  operations, 
after  which  he  is  first  found  among  the  slain  in 
Midian,  and  recognized  as  the  instigator  of  the 
great  calamity. 

More  conspicuous  is  the  distinction  in  Balaam, 
as  he  speaks,  proclaims,  sings  the  blessing,  aad 
as  he  plots  the  curse.  Still  while  he  changes 
his  blessing  into  a  curse,  Jehovah  transforms 
the  curse  into  a  blessing. 

This  very  remarkable  episode  in  the  Mosaic 
history  could  not  fail  to  occasion  many  disser- 
tations. For  the  literature  see  Keil,  p.  158, 
note  (consult  especially  Baur,  History  of  the  Old 
Testament  Prophecy,  p.  329),  Knobel,  p.  127; 
also  articles  in  Winer,  Worterbuch,  Herzog's 
Encyclopsedia,  Hengstenberg's  Gesckickle  de.i  Bi- 
learns,  Baumgarten,  Commentar.;  This  Commkn., 
Introduction  to  Genesis.  [Also  Kurtz,  Gesh., 
Vol.  II.,  p.  451  et  teq.,  Bible  Com.,  Smith's 
Bible  J)ic.,  Wordsworth,  Holi/  Bible  with  notes, 
Stanley,  History  of  the  Jewish  Church,  Vol.  I., 
p.  20',)-218.— A.  G.] 

"  From  the  very  earliest  time  opinions  have 
been  divided  as  to  the  character  of  Balaam. 
Some  {e.  g.  Philo,  Ambrose.  AnansTiNE)  have 
regarded  him  as  a  wizard  and  false  pr(.phet 
devoted  to  the  worship  of  idols,  who  was  desti- 
tute of  any  susceptibility  for  the  true  religion, 
and  v?as  compelled  by  God,  against  his  will,  to 
give  utterance  to  blessings  upon  Israel  instead 
of  curses.  Others  (e.  g.  Tertullian,  Jerome) 
have  supposed  him  to  be  a  genuine  and  true 
prophet,  who  simply  fell  through  covetousness 
and  ambition.    But  these  views  are  both  of  them 


CHAP.  XXII.  2-8. 


121 


untenable  in  this  exclusive  form.  Witsius 
[Miscell.  ss.  1,  lib.  1,  c.  16,  ^  33),  Hengsten- 
BERO,  Kurtz."  Keil.  The  declaration  of  Henq- 
STENBERG,  hovvevcr,  that  Balaam  was  not  entirely 
without  the  fear  of  God,  nor  yet  a  really  pious 
man  and  true  prophet  of  God,  leaves  us  without 
any  very  definite  idea.  It  is  most  important 
here  to  bear  in  mind  that  we  are  not  consider- 
ing a  fixed  character,  but  one  passing  through 
a  change,  and  engaged  in  a  serious  conflict. 
The  record  speaks  clearly  of  a  communication 
between  Balaam  and  God,  althoiigli  not  of  an 
intimate  and  confidential  relation  with  Him. 
He  is  at  least  a  monotheist ;  he  clings  as  a 
Mesopotamian,  perhaps  as  a  descendant  of  Abra- 
ham, to  the  name  of  Jehovah  in  its  more  general 
significance,  which  it  had  before  acquiring  its 
specific  meaning,  Ex.  iii.  and  vi.:  and  hence  the 
writer  uses  in  connection  with  him  the  name 
Elohim,  not  recognizing  him  as  strictly  a  wor- 
shipper of  Jehovah.  He  thus  lies  within  the 
primitive,  monotheistic  traditions,  the  religious 
twilight  which  Melchizedek  also  represents 
(see  Gen.  xiv.  18).  But  he  had  derived  from 
his  father  Beor,  i.  e.  ''consumer,"  "destroyer," 
as  it  appears  from  his  own  name  Balaam,  "  sub- 
Terter,"  "  devourer  of  the  people,"  a  stronger 
inclination  to  curse  than  to  bless.  Henqsten- 
BERO  lays  great  stress  upon  the  fact  that  he  is 
never  called  nabi,  "  prophet,"  but  kosem,  "  sooth- 
sayer." But  we  may  well  suppose  that  the 
obscure  word  kosem  originally  bore  a  better 
sense  than  that  which  was  attached  to  it  later. 
It  may  be  true  that  this  word,  and  those 
who  bore  it,  as  with  the  worship  of  high- 
places,  which  was  originally  patriarchal,  but 
afterwards  degenerated  iuto  idolatry.  We 
distinguish  between  the  primeval  religion  which 
runs  from  Melchizedek  down  through  the  Old 
Testament  history,  and  was  never  entirely  ex- 
tinguished, and  the  religion  of  the  Abraiiamic 
promise  or  covenant,  by  the  inverted  order  of 
Bigns  or  symbols,  and  the  word.  In  the  primi- 
tive religion  God  is  known  through  the  signs, 
and  these  are  rendered  into  the  word  by  the  in- 
terpreting mind,  in  the  covenant  religion  the 
word  precedes  and  is  afterward  confirmed  and 
enforced  by  sacramental  signs.  Thus  Joseph 
wears  the  aspect  of  a  descendant  of  the  primi- 
tive religion,  and  might  even  appear  as  a  Kosem 
when  he  claims  that  he  prophesied  out  of  his 
cup.  Thus  Balaam  also  proceeds  to  seek  for 
signs,  chap,  xxiii.  3,  15.  I3ut  then  there  is  an 
evident  approach  to  the  Abrahamic  form  of  reli- 
gion, when  he  no  longer  seeks  for  signs,  whose 
interpretation  Jehovah  puts  into  his  mouth,  but 
by  virtue  of  the  free  direct  inspiration,  as  he 
looks  upon  Israel,  utters  his  prophetic  words, 
(xxiv.  1).  After  this  we  cau  no  longer  class  the 
Kosem  Balaam  with  the  later  degenerated  sooth- 
sayers. But  surely  he  does  approach  that  low- 
ered type,  when  he  suffers  himself,  avowedly  at 
least,  to  recognize  the  superstitious  notion,  that 
by  arbitrary  curses  he  could  magically  produce 
calamitous  results,  even  upon  a  whole  people, 
even  against  the  blessing  of  Jehovah  ;  and  be- 
cause he  was  eager  and  prepared  to  receive  the 
reward  of  such  enchantmonts.  It  may  be  that 
it  was  from  the  pay  which  he  took,  that  the  pro- 
phet, originally,  came  to  wear  the  altered  and 


less  honored  name  of  Kosem.  But  the  pos- 
sibility of  such  a  designed  intermingling  of 
the  holy  with  the  unholy,  lies  in  the  great  di- 
vergency between  emotional  capacity  when  ex- 
cited, in  highly  gifted  natures,  and  the  nor- 
mal condition  of  the  rniud.  Universally  there 
is  a  contrast  between  the  man  in  the  ordinary 
state  of  his  mind,  or  his  habitual  tendency,  and 
the  same  man  in  his  quickened  state,  in  his 
strivings  after  ideal  heights  ;  between  the  man 
in  his  everyday  and  in  his  Sunday  life.  In  the 
lives  of  noble  men,  this  divergency  sometimes 
ripens  into  opposition,  as  with  Peter,  Mati.  xvi. ; 
and  indeed  in  the  very  best  men  there  is  always 
the  blossom  of  impulse  before  the  fruit  of  a  new 
soul-life.  But  if  a  fissure  opens  between  these 
two  spiritual  states  of  the  soul,  which  widens  at 
last  into  a  broad  chasm,  a  permanent  contradic- 
tion, then  the  Balaam  nature  is  complete,  and  in 
the  end  the  evil  tendency  and  nature  triumphs 
over  the  ideal.  Thus  it  happens  that  false  pro- 
phets have  been  formed  out  of  gifted  prophetic 
natures,  in  ancient  and  modern  times. 

We  pass  now  naturally  to  the  consideration  of 
another  erroneous  contrast,  which  supposes  that 
Balaam  intended  to  curse  at  the  very  moment 
of  his  speaking,  but  that  the  Spirit  of  God  com- 
pelled him  to  utter  blessings.  Hengstenberg 
says  of  this  view  :  "  Ambrose  held  a  crude  no- 
tion of  the  eiFect  of  the  divine  power  upon  Ba- 
laam, as  if  God  put  the  words  in  his  moutb, 
quasi  cymbalum  tinniens  sonum  reddoj'  Calvin 
held  nearly  the  same  view.  [Hengstenberg 
says  of  Calvin  "  that  in  general  he  clearly  re- 
cognized and  sharply  expressed  the  dependence 
of  prophecy  upon  the  subjective  condition  of  the 
prophet,  while  he  regards  Balaam  as  an  exception 
to  this  rule." — A  G.].  But  one  could  scarcely 
call  this  power  which  thus  constrains  the  soul, 
inspiration,  not  even  infusion.  Here  again  we 
must  bear  in  mind  that  the  divine  irresistible 
influence  is  moral,  and  is  carefully  to  be  distin- 
guished from  any  physical  or  magical  compul- 
sion, from  which  it  is  free.  It  is  a  strange  coin- 
cidence that  this  assumption  has  been  applied 
not  only  to  Balaam,  but  even  to  the  ass  on  which 
he  rode,  although  it  lacked  entirely  the  organic 
capacity  for  human  speech.  In  this  respect 
Hengstenberg  has  admirably  presented  the  dis- 
tinction between  the  ideas  of  externality  and 
reality  ;  asserting  the  reality  of  inward  occur- 
rences, as  well  as  the  distinction  between  real 
visions  and  bare  imaginations,  although  the  two 
things  are  held  to  be  one  and  the  same  by  many 
thinkers  who  assume  great  superiority.  But  no 
one  can  make  any  great  progress  in  the  Holy 
Scripture,  without  a  sense  or  capacity  for  per- 
ceiving the  reality  of  genuine  visions.  But  we 
shall  return  to  this  theme  in  the  sequel. 

This  narrative,  moreover,  is  very  important 
with  respect  to  the  doctrines  of  the  divine  per- 
mission. God  forbids  Balaam  to  go.  He  then 
permits  him  to  go  under  certain  conditions, 
while  He  appears  to  be  offended  because  he  went. 
To  a  superficial  view  the  passage  seems  full  of 
inconsistencies,  whereas  in  truth  the  apparent 
change  in  the  divine  decisions  is  determined  by 
the  changes  in  Balaam,  is  adapted  to  them,  and 
is  thus  the  result  and  fruit  of  the  strictest  and 
most  sacred  consistency. 


r22 


NUMBERS. 


As  some  have  held  that  the  words  of  the  third 
and  last  prophecy  point  clearly  to  a  later  origin, 
is,  according  to  the  fiction  of  the  critics,  a  vati- 
cinia post  eventum,  it  is  necessary  that  we  should 
examine  the  passage  more  closely.  In  this  third 
prophecy  Balaam  stands  at  the  very  highest  point 
in  his  inspired  intuition.  It  is  no  longer  (as  in 
vers.  5  and  IG)  :  "  Jehovah  put  a  word  into  his 
mouth,"  but:  "The  Spirit  of  God  came  upon 
him."  Before  he  spake  under  restraint  of  fear, 
now  freed  from  any  such  limitations,  and  in  the 
full  freedom  of  revelation  (chap.  xxiv.  4-9).  The 
anger  of  the  king  at  his  third  utterance  of  words 
of  blessing  seems  to  have  unfettered  his  own  in- 
dignation (vers.  12-24). 

The  passage  in  which  we  have  the  beautiful 
prediction  of  the  "  Star  out  of  Jacob,"  does  not 
belong  to  the  line  of  clear,  direct,  conscious  Mes- 
sianic prophecy,  although  Rabbi  Akiba  held  that 
it  did,  but  refers  to  the  Bar-Cochab :  Son  of  the 
Star.  [There  was  a  pretender  who  bore  this 
name,  with  express  reference  to  the  prophecy  of 
Balaam;  and  led  the  Jews  into  rebellion  against 
the  Roman  power  in  the  reign  of  Hadrian,  A. 
D.,  136. — A.  G.].  The  exclusive  references  of 
the  Star  to  the  Slessiah,  have  been  numerous  in 
Christian  authors  from  Calvin  to  Baumgarten, 
see  Knobel,  p.  146.  But  since  the  conception 
of  an  ideal,  personal  Messiah  had  not  reached 
its  full  development  even  at  the  time  of  David, 
2  Sam.  vii.,  it  would  have  been  a  strange  ano- 
maly if  it  had  found  expression  so  much  earlier 
by  the  heathen  Balaam.  For  other  interpreta- 
tions, as  e.  g.  that  wliich  refers  the  prophecy  to 
David,  to  Duvid  and  the  Messiah,  to  the  Jewish 
kingdom  and  the  Messiah,  see  Knobel,  p.  146 
[and  notes  in  loc. — A.  G.].  As  to  the  appear- 
ance of  new  stars  in  connection  with  the  birth 
of  great  kings,  see  Keil,  p.  192  [who,  however, 
refers  to  Henqstenberg,  who  cites  Justini, 
Hist,  xxxvii.  2;  Plinii,  H.N.  ii.  23 ;  Sueton., 
Jul.  Csei.  c.  78;  and  Dio  Cass,  xlv.,  p.  273. — 
— A.  G.].  We  must  bear  in  mind  here  first  of 
all,  that  we  are  not  dealing  with  an  Old  Testa- 
ment prophet.  Balaam  and  his  prophecies  ap- 
pear throughout  under  an  historical  point  of 
view.  But  what  he  meant  by  a  star  was  a  scep- 
tre, a  royal  ruler,  who  should  arise  in  Israel, 
and  crush  all  its  enemies.  We  do  not  need  to 
be  familiar  with  Jewish  history  to  understand 
what  follows,  although  Balaam,  in  a  typical,  but 
not  in  a  verbal  sense,  uttered  far  more  than  he 
was  conscious  of,  even  with  respect  to  the  star 
out  of  Jacob.  What  could  be  of  greater  moment 
than  the  crushing  of  the  power  of  the  Moabite 
princes,  since  they  were  even  now  plotting  the 
destruction  of  Israel  ?  The  Edomites,  in  a  spirit 
of  enmity,  had  just  before  restrained  the  onward 
march  of  the  people  of  God.  The  Amalekites 
were  old  traditional  foes  of  Israel.  When  now 
he  proceeds  further  and  predicts  the  victory 
over  I  lie  Assyrians,  his  own  countrymen,  over 
the  Kenites  (in  the  north),  and  then  the  con- 
quest of  Assyria  and  Mesopotamia  (Eber)  by 
some  WL-stern  power,  he  passes  from  the  parti- 
cular into  the  universal.  At  length  his  prophetic 
vision  reaches  its  utmost  bounds.  Chittim  shall 
be  overthrown  at  last.  His  talent  for  cursing 
now  comes  into  full  play,  and  the  proud  seer  in 
wrath  lakes  leave  of  the   angry  king  who    had 


thought  only  that  by  some  superstitious   magio 
spell,  he  would  be  able  to  win  back  his  lost  do- 
main, or  at  least  to  protect  that  which  was   still 
left   him ;  takes   leave  ostensibly  never  to    see 
him  again,  but  only  ostensibly.     A  Midianitish 
nomad  tribe,  coming  perhaps  from  his  own  home 
in  Mesopotamia,  roamed  at  this  time  along  the 
extended  kingdom.     Here  among  these  Midian- 
ites  Balaam  seems  to  have  rested  (after  having 
sought  in  vain  a  market  for   his  talents  among 
the  Israelites)  in  order    to  renew   his  relation 
with  Balak.      For  various  conjectures  as  to  who 
Balaam  was,  see  Knobel.     It  was  formerly  con- 
jectured that  he  was  Elihu  or  Laban,  or  one  of 
the   magicians  of  Egypt.     jModern  guesses  are 
that  he  was    the   Arabic  sage    Lokman.     Thus 
Knobel.       For    conjecture    as    to    Pethor,    see 
Knobel,  128.     [Knobel  identifies  Pethor  with 
^adovaai  (Zosian  iii.  14)  and  with   the  Bedavva 
of  Ptolemy  v.    18,   6.     He  regards   both   these 
names  as  corruptions  of  Pethor,  and  thinks  the 
place  is  found  in  the  present   Anah.     Keil  re- 
gards   this    as    very    uncertain,    while      Bible 
Com.  is  inclined  to  favor  it.     Very  little  is  cer- 
tainly known. — A.  G.]     For  the  faith  of  anti- 
quity in  the  efficacy  of  curses,   see  Knobel,  p. 
129.     [Also  Kurtz,  Oeschichte  des  Allen  Bundes, 
and  Baumgarten,  Com.,  who  holds  that  the  effi- 
cacy attributed  to  them  was  not  merely  a  super- 
stition or  imagination,  but  had  a  real  ground, 
and  that  the  narrative   here   can  only  be  cor- 
rectly   understood    on    the    supposition    that    it 
recognizes  the  actual  power  of  Balaam  to  bless 
and  to  curse.     He  finds  the  turning  point  in  the 
whole  narrative,  the  thought  around  which   it 
clusters,  in  the  words  Dent,  xxiii.  6,     "The  Lord 
thy  God  would  not  hearken  unto  Balaam  ;  but 
the  Lord  thy  God  turned  the  curse  into  a  bless- 
ing unto  thee."     Kurtz  adopts  substantially  the 
same  view.     For  the  opposite  view   see   Heng- 
stenbebg.  History  of  Balaam. — A.  G.] 

[The  question  as  to  tlie  moral  character  of 
Balaam  is  distinct  from  that  as  to  the  nature  of 
his  prophetic  gift  and  position.  They  are  not 
entirely  disconnected  questions;  but  the  one  is 
much  more  easily  settled  than  the  other.  He 
could  not  of  course  be  a  good  man  and  a  false 
prophet;  but  he  may  have  been  a  bad  man  and 
a  true  prophet.  Such  in  fact  he  was.  Morally 
Balaam  comes  before  us  as  a  man  of  keen  in- 
sight and  of  wide  culture,  having  broad  glimpses 
of  the  truth,  which  seem  to  have  grown  clearer 
with  his  investigations,  a  heart  susceptible  to 
noble  impulses,  a  conscience  awakened,  but  not 
authoritative,  with  strong  convictions  of  right 
and  duty,  which  are  yet  sacrificed  to  the  cra- 
vings of  avarice  and  ainbiiion;  ever  practically 
selling  all  his  better  impulses,  his  convictions 
and  his  conscience,  for  the  sake  of  gain,  and  yet 
never  doing  it  without  a  conscious  and  serious 
struggle.  As  to  his  prophetic  position,  he  is 
not  to  be  viewed,  as  Hengstenberg  has  fully 
shown,  as  a  false  prophet,  a  mere  heathen  seer, 
who  was  constrained  by  God  against  his  own 
will  to  bless  and  not  to  curse  Israel,  nor,  on  the 
other  hand,  as  a  true  and  genuine  prophet,  who 
was  only  swept  away  by  his  avarice  and  ambi- 
tion. There  are  elements  of  truth  in  both  views ; 
but  neither  of  them  is  tenable  in  its  exclusive 
form.     "The  truth  lies,"    to  use  the  words  of 


CHAP.  XXII.  2-8. 


12<j 


KcETZ,  "  in  the  midst.  Balaam  was  in  his  pre- 
sent position  both  a  heatben  magician  and  a 
Jehovistic  seer.  He  stood  upon  the  border  line 
between  regions,  which  indeed  lie  contiguous, 
but  in  their  nature  and  character  are  radically 
opposed  to  each  other,  and  exclusive  of  each 
other.  With  one  foot  still  upon  the  ground  of 
heathen  magic  and  soothsaying,  he  planted  the 
other  within  the  limits  of  the  Jehovistic  religion 
and  prophecy."  The  name  he  bears,  DDIp,  a 
soothsayer,  which  is  never  used  to  designate  a 
true  prophet  of  God;  his  parleying  with  the 
messengers,  his  seeking  permission  to  go  the 
second  time ;  the  eager  pursuit  of  his  covetous 
hopes,  and  especially  his  use  of  signs  as  the  fit- 
ting and  customary  means  to  ascertain  the  wilj 
of  God,  which  were  never  resorted  to  by  the  true 
prophet,  are  proofs  that  he  still  stood  upon  the 
old  and  lower  ground ;  while  his  avowed  claim 
to  act  as  a  prophet  of  Jehovah,  his  delay  in 
going  at  Balak's  request,  his  answer  to  the 
second  and  more  attractive  embassy,  and  his 
reply  to  Balak's  indignant  remonstrance  because 
he  had  not  cursed,  but  blessed  Israel,  ch.  xxiii. 
12,  show  that  he  had  indeed  in  part  crossed  the 
border  and  stood  within  the  region  of  the  trae 
prophets  of  Jehovah.  The  tidings  of  the  great 
things  which  God  had  done  for  His  people  in 
Egypt,  at  the  Red  Sea,  in  the  wilderness,  which 
had  been  borne  to  him  as  the  report  spread 
through  the  nations,  had  doubtless  led  him  to 
take  a  more  decided  stand.  He  probably  hoped 
too  to  make  greater  gains  if  he  appeared  as  a 
prophet  of  Jehovah. 

Why  he  remained  in  this  position ;  why  he 
did  not  advance  still  more  decidedly  and  com- 
pletely into  the  new  region  which  opened  before 
him ;  or  rather  why  attempting  to  stand  upon 
the  border-line,  to  unite  and  hold  fast  in  himself 
that  which  differed  so  widely  and  irreconcilably, 
he  ultimately  went  back  to  his  old  service,  sank 
completely  down  to  the  lower  level  upon  which 
he  stood  before,  and  into  all  the  deeper  darkness 
because  he  had  turned  away  from  the  light,  the 
progress  of  the  history  makes  perfectly  clear. 
It  is  just  here  that  his  moral  character  bears 
Upon  his  prophetic  position.  He  was  not  willing 
to  part  with  his  lusts.  "He  loved  the  wages  of 
unrighteousness."  He  could  not  bring  himself 
to  serve  God  with  an  undivided  heart.  It  was 
no  intellectual  defect,  nor  any  want  of  fitness 
for  a  higher  calling,  for  the  position  of  a  true 
and  genuine  prophet,  but  his  clingiog  to  his 
lusts,  his  attempt  to  carry  them  over  with  him 
into  the  service  of  Jehovah,  which  restrained 
his  progress.  Through  the  call  of  Balak  he  was 
brought  into  a  position  at  which  he  must  decide 
"  whettier,"  as  Kurtz  says,  "the  old  heathen, 
or  the  new  Jehovistic  principle  of  life  should 
rule  within  him,  whether  he  should  go  on  to  the 
full,  genuine,  prophetic  condition,  or  fall  back 
upon  the  old  stand-point,  and  in  so  doing  fall  of 
course  into  a  more  decided  hostility  towards 
Jehovah,  towards  the  theocracy  and  the  people 
of  His  choice.  This  development  of  circum- 
stances, which  serves  for  the  glorifying  of 
Jehovah,  for  the  encouragement  of  Israel,  for 
the  discouragement  of  the  enemies  of  Israel,  has 
also  for  Balaam  most  momentous,  indeed  deci- 


sive importance.  He  fell.  Covetousness  and 
ambition  were  stronger  in  him  than  the  desire 
for  salvation." — A.  G.] 

Sec.   A.     Chap.  xxii.   1-8. 

The  Moabites,  like  the  Edomites,  had  sold  the 
Israelites  bread  and  water  while  they  were 
passing  along  their  eastern  border.  But  now 
when  they  saw  them  settling  down  in  the  domi- 
nion of  Sihon,  upon  their  northern  border,  the 
wounds  of  which  were  not  yet  healed,  terror 
seized  upon  them.  They  excited  the  Midianites 
by  appealing  to  their  fears,  lest  the  Israelites 
should  lay  waste  all  their  green  meadow-lands, 
as  the  oz  licketh  up  the  grass  of  the  field. 
They  could  not  hope  to  conquer  those  who  were 
victorious  over  the  Amorites,  against  whom 
they  had  been  unable  to  stand.  Then  Balak 
(whose  name  seems  to  be  without  significance) 
in  consultation  with  the  elders  of  Midian,  strikes 
upon  the  diabolical  thought,  that  he  might  per- 
haps secure  the  destruction  of  this  mighty  peo- 
ple through  fanatical  curses,  through  magical 
incantations;  a  thought  suggested  perhaps  by 
Midianitish  traders,  to  whom  the  reputation  of 
Balaam,  as  a  great  magician  and  imprecatory 
prophet,  was  familiar.  However  confused  may 
have  been  the  prevalent  conceptions  in  these 
regions  as  to  supernatural  agencies,  so  much  is 
clear,  that  the  reputation  was  in  accordance 
with  them.  His  father  "called  Beor  (from 
■^>'3)  on  account  of  the  destructive  power  attri- 
buted to  his  curses."  The  son  of  this  fanatical 
destroyer  (for  the  form  Bosor,  2  Peter  ii.  15, 
see  Keil,  who  holds  that  it  probably  arose  from 
the  peculiar  mode  of  pronouncing  the  guttural 
J,' )  is  called  Balaam,  ensnarer  or  destroyer  of 
the  people.  [Henqstenberq:  "He  bore  the 
name  as  a  dreaded  wizard  and  conjurer,  whe- 
ther he  received  it  at  his  birth  as  a  member  of 
a  family  in  which  this  occupation  was  hereditary, 
or  whether  the  name  was  given  to  him  at  a  later 
period,  when  the  fact  indicated  by  the  name 
had  actually  made  its  appearance." — A.  G.] 
Balaam  understood  well  how  to  destroy  the  peo- 
ple not  only  with  burning  curses,  but  by  the 
wily  use  of  worldly  and  fleshly  allurements.  It 
must  have  been  already  known,  too,  that  his 
powers  and  gifts  were  in  the  market,  and  could 
be  purchased  for  gold  or  renown.  Moses  indeed 
may  have  despised  the  superstition  of  heathen 
antiquity  that  curses  could  actually  work  inju- 
rious results — a  superstition  which  in  some  of 
its  forms,  reaches  even  to  the  present  time,  and 
therefore  may  have  regarded  the  curses  of  Ba- 
laam as  having  no  importance  in  themselves ; 
but  still  as  mere  fanatical  delusions  they  might 
produce  injurious  results,  as  they  might  inflame 
the  Moabites,  and  dishearten  and  weaken  the 
Israelites.  [Balak  who  was  king  of  the 
Moabites  at  that  time.  The  words  seem  to 
intimate  that  he  was  not  the  hereditary  king  of 
Moab.  If,  as  Bible  Com.  regards  as  probable, 
"the  Midianitish  chieftains  had  taken  advantage 
of  the  weakness  of  the  Moabites  after  the  Amo- 
ritish  victories  to  establish  themselves  as  princes 
in  the  land,  as  the  Hyksos  had  done  in  Egypt," 
we  see  at  once  why  Balak  should  have  turned 
for  counsel  to  the  elders  of  Midian,  and  why  ho 


124 


NUMBERS. 


should  have  had  such  confidence  in  the  power 
of  Balaam  — A.  G.]  Accordingly  he  sends  mes- 
sengers to  Balaam  with  the  rewards  of  sooth- 
saying (Kosem  the  soothsayer),  to  Pethor,  an 
unknown  city,  probably,  according  to  Keil,  a 
seat  of  Babylonian  sages,  if  it  was  not  rather 
the  seat  of  monotheistic  hermits,  among  whom 
the  Semitico-Abrahamic  tradition  was  still  pre- 
served. Balak  did  not  think  that  the  curses  of 
Balaam  in  themselves  could  destroy  the  Israel- 
ites;  but  he  firmly  believed  that  with  the  aid 
of  this  superstitious  delusion  he  could  so  work 
upon  the  temper  of  bodi  peoples,  so  animate  his 
own  people  and  the  Midianites,  and  so  discour- 
age the  people  of  God,  as  to  secure  the  victory. 
[It  is  far  more  probable  that  Balak  shared  the 
belief,  which,  strange  as  it  may  seem  to  us,  was 
common  among  the  heathen,  that  persons  like 
Balaam  could  by  their  sacrifices  work  upon  the 
gods  they  served,  and  so  determine  and  control 
their  purposes  and  power.  As  Balaam  was 
avowedly  now  the  servant  of  Jehovah,  the  God 
of  Israel,  Balak  doubtless  hoped  that  if  he  could 
secure  his  influence,  he  would  work  upon 
Jehovah,  and  so  change  the  current  of  events. 
— A.  G.]  Come  curse  me  this  people, 
for  they  are  too  mighty  for  me  :  perad- 
venture  I  shall  smite  them  and  drive 
them  out  of  the  land. — As  thou  art  the  great 
curser,  the  highest  adept  in  that  great  art,  so 
thou  canst  with  thy  curses  infuriate  the  Moab- 
ites  and  dispirit  and  confound  the  Israelites; 
then  I  can  smite  them.  This  people  is  come 
out  of  Egypt,  he  said,  as  if  he  knew  nothing 


more  of  them.  They  cover  the  eye  of  the 
earth  is  his  scornful  expression.  They  abide 
over  against  me,  as  if  he  did  not  know  that 
they  did  not  wish  any  conflict  with  him.  He 
will  have  revenge  because  the  Israelites  have 
conquered  the  Amorites  his  own  enemies.  Kno- 
BEL,  speaking  of  the  belief  in  incantations,  loses 
sight  of  the  distinction  between  prophetic  an- 
nouncement of  curses,  and  the  mere  incantation 
of  common  superstition  and  witchcraft.  [Keil: 
"  The  fact  that  the  Lord  did  not  hearken  to  Ba- 
laam, but  turned  the  curse  into  a  blessing,  is 
celebrated  as  a  great  favor  to  Israel.  Deut.  xxiii. 
5;  Josh.  xxiv.  10;  Micah  vi.  3,  assumes  that 
Balaam  had  power  to  bless  and  to  curse.  This 
power  is  not  traced,  it  is  true,  to  the  might  of 
heathen  deities,  but  to  the  might  of  Jehovah, 
whose  name  Balaam  confessed  ;  but  yet  the  pos- 
sibility is  assumed  of  his  curse  doing  actual,  and 
not  merely  imaginary  harm  to  the  Israelites  "  — 
A.  G.]. 

Balaam  receives  the  messengers  of  Balak.  As 
he  acknowledges  the  name  of  Jehovah,  he  must 
have  known  at  once  that  he  could  not  curse  the 
people  of  Jehovah.  He  invites  them,  however, 
to  remain  over  night,  assuring  them  that  he  will 
in  the  night  receive  instructions  from  Jehovah. 
He  thus  intimates  that  he  expects  his  instruc- 
tions in  the  form  of  nocturnal  dream-visions,  al- 
though this  is  not  the  only  thing,  upon  which  he 
relied  as  an  interpreter  of  signs.  He  regards  or 
presents  as  in  doubt  what  he  should  have  known 
at  once.  He  tempts  Jehovah ;  and  thus  he  en- 
ters the  path  of  perdition. 


B.— BALAAM'S  FORMAL  BUT  HEARTLESS  REFUSAL. 
Chapter  XXII.  9-14. 

9       And   God   came   unto    Balaam,  and   said,    What  men  are  these  with  thee? 

10  And   Balaam  said  unto   God,  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor,  king  of  Moab,  hath  sent 

11  unto  me,  saying,  Behold,  there  is  a  people  coipe  out  of  Egypt,  which  covereth  the 
face  of  the  earth  :  come  now,  curse  me  them  ;  peradventure  'I  shall  be  able  to  over- 

12  come  them,  and  drive  them  out.     And  God  said  unto  Balaam,  Thou  shalt  not  go 

13  with  them  ;  thou  shalt  not  curse  the  people  :  for  they  are  blessed.     And  Balaam 
rose  up  in  the  morning,  and  said  unto  the  princes  of  Balak,  Get  you  into  your  land: 

14  for  the  Lord  refuseth  to  give  me  leave  to  go  with  you.     And  the  princes  of  Moab 
rose  up,  and  they  went  unto  Balak,  and  said,  Balaam  refuseth  to  come  with  us. 

1  1<l&r^.  I  shall  prevail  in  fighting  against  them. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ter.  11.  riDp  from  a  root  which  signifies  to  hollow  out;  to  pierce,  perforate,  and  so  curse  from  the  pen©" 
trating.power  of  the  curse.  IIiusch  regards  it  as  an  anomalous  form  used  in  the  sense  of  curse  only  in  this  nar- 
rative, and  signifying  to  hollow,  make  empty,  to  take  away  the  whole  contents  of  its  object— to  make  it  as  chaff- 
er a  shadow. — A.  G.]. 


CHAP.  XXII.  15-21. 


125 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

God  (Elohim)  the  writer  tells  us  comes  to  Ba- 
laam in  the  niglit.  Balaam  speaks  of  Jehovah  as 
if  he  knew  the  God  of  Salvation.  [He  had  this 
knowledge  partly  from  the  primeval  traditions 
which  were  probably  preserved  more  fully  and 
clearly  in  his  native  region  than  elsewhere,  but 
mainly  from  the  report  of  the  great  things  which 
God  had  done  in  the  deliverance  and  leading  of 
His  people,  which  had  spread  far  and  wide  and 
produced  a  deep  impression  on  all  the  neighbor- 
ing tribes.  Balaam  was  prepared  to  welcome 
the  report  and  turn  it  to  his  own  selfish  ends,  if 
possible.  See  Kurtz's  History, — A.  G.].  What 
men  are  these  w^ith  thee  ?  asks  Jehovah,  so 
that  his  vague,  uneasy  suspicion  that  these  guests 
might  bring  him  to  ruin,  might  work  itself  out 
clearly.  [Hbnqstenberg:  The  question  was  in- 
tended to  awaken  the  slumbering  conscience  of 
Balaam,  to  lead  him  to  reflect  upon  the  proposal 
■which  they  had  made,  and  to  break  the  force  of 


his  sinful  inclination. — A.  G.].  Balak  had  said 
He  w^hom  thou  blessest  is  blessed,  and 
he  -whom  thou  cursest  is  cursed.  But 
God  speaks  otherwise.  Thou  shalt  not  curse 
the  people,  for  they  are  blessed,  i.  e.,  thy 
curses  would  have  no  effect.  The  cunning  seer, 
however,  tells  them  nothing  of  this  ;  he  simply 
says  :  The  LORD  refuseth  to  give  me  leave 
to  go  Tvith  you. — The  answer  was  intelligible 
to  the  Moabitish  courtiers.  [Their  report  to 
Balak  shows  clearly  that  they  understood  the 
position  and  inclination  of  Balaam.  They  saw 
that  he  wished  to  come,  and  that  a  larger  bribe 
would  probably  bring  him.  Balaam  does  not 
appear  to  have  sought  the  counsel  of  God.  When 
asked,  Who  are  those  men  Tvith  thee  ?  the 
question  was  a  surprise  to  him.  And  he  fails 
intentionally  to  give  to  the  messengers  the  very 
gist  and  kernel  of  the  announcement  God  made 
to  him.  That  would  have  defeated  his  secret 
plan  and  hopes.  It  would  have  convinced  Balak 
and  Midian  that  their  effort  was  useless. — A.  Q.]. 


C— BALAK' S    SECOND    MESSAGE,    BALAAM'S    WAVERING,  AND   THE    BEGINNING 
THE  JUDGMENT  OF  GOD  UPON  HIM  IN  PERMITTING  THE  JOURNEY. 

Chapter  XXII.  15-21. 


OP 


15, 16  And  Balak  sent  yet  again  princes,  more,  and  more  honourable  than  they.  And 
they  came  to  Balaam,  and  said  to  him.  Thus  saith  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor,  Let 

17  ^nothing,  I  pray  thee,  hinder  thee  from  coming  unto  me  :    For  I  will  promote  thee 
unto  very  great  honour,  and  I  will  do  whatsoever  thou  sayest  unto  me  :  come  there- 

18  fore,  I  pray  thee,  curse  me  this  people.     And  Balaam  answered  and  said  unto  the 
servants  of  Balak,  If  Balak  would  give  me  his  house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  I  can^ 

19  not  go  beyond  the  word  of  the  Lord  my  God,  to  do  less  or  more.     Now  therefore, 
I  pray  you,  tarry  ye  also  here  this  night,  that  I  may  know  what  the  Lord  will 

20  say  unto  me  more.     And  God  came  unto  Balaam  at  night,  and  said  unto  him.  If 
the  men  come  to  call  thee,  rise  up,  and  go  with  them  ;  but  yet  the  word  which  I 

21  shall  say  unto  thee,  that  shalt  thou  do.     And  Baalam  rose  up  in  the  morning,  and 
saddled  his  ass,  and  went  with  the  princes  of  Moab. 


1  Marg.  Be  not  thou  letted  from. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

The  politic  Balak  saw  clearly  through  the  an- 
swer of  Balaam,  and  knew  how  to  approach  him. 
A  more  stately  embassy,  flattering  his  love  of 
distinction,  a  confidential  alluring  prayer  of  the 

king  (Ki~7N),  the  prospect  of  high  honor  or  rich 
rewards  suited  to  his  strong  desire  would  pre- 
vail. Balaam  understands  the  courtly  message 
well,  when  he  says  :  If  Balak  would  give  me 
his  house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  etc. — 
[HiRscH  :  "Balaam's  answer  betrays  his  real 
character.  However  much  he  seeks  honor,  he 
seeks  wealth  still  more.  Balak  had  not  inti- 
mated in  his  message  anything  about  gold.     He 


has  spoken  only  of  great  distinction,  and  said 
that  every  wish  should  be  gratified.  But  Balaam 
immediately  translates  honor  into  gold.  This  is 
the  supreme  good  with  him." — A.  G.].  The 
real  thought  of  his  heart  shines  out  clearly 
through  this  seemingly  strong  resolution.  Still 
more  when  he  asks  them  to  tarry  another  night, 
as  if  to  ascertain  in  a  second  nightly  vision  what 
more  Jehovah  would  say  to  him,  he  intimates 
that  he  deemed  it  possible  that  He  would  decide 
differently  this  time.  Knobel  says,  "there  are 
other  instances  in  the  Old  Testament  in  which 
God  changes  His  mind  when  besought  to  do  so 
(chap.  xvi.  21  sqq.  ;  Ex.  xxxii.  14;  Jonah  iii. 
10)."  Knobel  ignores  entirely  the  distinction 
between  the  merely  seeming  "  changes  of  mind  " 
in  the  way  of  mercy,  and  the  still  more  apparent 


126 


NUMBERS. 


"  change  of  mind  "  in  judgment.  He  regards 
Balaam  in  a  very  favorable  light.  But  one  has 
examined  the  passage  very  superficially  if  he 
regards  the  second  command  of  God  as  a  conces- 
sion. Now  indeed  the  consequences  of  his  cha- 
racter and  conduct  begin  to  gather  around  him, 
80  that  he  goes  on  involved  in  inconsistencies, 
until  the  final  disruption  and  ruin  takes  place. 
It  had  been  easier  for  him  to  refuse  Balak  posi- 
tively, than  to  make  use  of  the  permission  to  go, 
coupled  with  a  condition  which  must  entirely 
defeat  his  object.  But  yet  the  •word  which 
I  shall  say  unto  thee,  that  shalt  thou  do. 
The  deceitful  heart  allowed  him  to  hope  that 
Jehovah  would  at  last  grant  him  his  wish,  while 
the  grand  irony  of  the  divine  providence  went 
on,  giving  him  over  to  the  judgment  of  his  own 
double-heartedness.  He  might  have  been  saved 
if  now,  when  God  tried  or  tested  him,  because 
he  had  sought  to  tempt  God,  he  had  sought  per- 
mission to  remain.  [Upou  the  apparent  contra- 
diction between  the  prohibition,  ver.  12,  and  the 
permission,  ver.  20,  and  the  anger  of  God  at  his 
going,  ver.  22,  See  Hengstenbero,  Beitrdge  3, 
469 ;  History  of  Balaam,  p.  44,  Note.    The  whole 


difficulty  vanishes  at  once  when  we  consider 
that  the  prohibition  was  to  go  and  curse  Israel, 
and  in  the  permission  to  go  he  is  still  forbidden 
to  curse.  The  curse  was  that  for  which  Balak 
sent  for  him.  That  is  forbidden  throughout. 
The  permission,  or  rather  the  command  to  go, 
for  as  Hengstenbekq  well  says,  "  that  which  he 
sought  to  do  in  the  service  of  his  own  sinful  lusts, 
he  must  now  do  after  any  such  hope  has  va- 
nished, in  the  service  of  God,"  was  in  fulfilment 
of  the  divine  purpose  and  given  partly  with  re- 
ference to  Balaam  himself,  and  partly  through 
Balaam's  blessings  to  bless  His  own  people,  and 
to  glorify  His  name  among  the  heathen  and  in 
Israel.  Balaam  now  became  the  unwilling  in- 
strument in  the  execution  of  the  divine  purpose. 
The  anger  of  God  -was  kindled  against 
him,  not  because  he  went  merely,  but  because 
he  was  going  with  a  blind  and  persistent  adhe- 
rence to  his  own  plan,  under  the  control  of  his 
own  lusts,  and  probably  in  the  hope  that  in  some 
way  he  would  secure  his  own  distinction  and 
wealth.  God  holds  His  instruments  in  His  own 
hands. — A.  G.]. 


D.— BALAAM'S  JOURNEY  AND  HIS  SPEAKING  ASS. 
Chapter  XXII.  22-40. 

22  And  God's  anger  was  kindled  because  he  went :  and  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
stood  in  the  way  for  an  adversary  against  him.     Now  he  was  riding  upon  his  ass, 

23  and  his  two  servants  xcere  with  him.  And  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord  stand- 
ing in  the  way,  and  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand :  and  the  ass  turned  aside  out  of 
the  way,  and  went  into  the  field :  and  Balaam  smote  the  ass,  to  turn  her  into  the 

24  way.     But  the  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  in  a  path  of  the  vineyards,  a  wall  being 

25  on  this  side,  and  a  wall  on  that  side.  And  when  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord, 
she  thrust  herself  unto  the  wall,  and  crushed  Balaam's  foot  against  the  wall :  and 

26  he  smote  her  again.     And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  further,  and  stood  in  a  nar- 

27  row  place,  where  was  no  way  to  turn  either  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.  And 
when  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  she  fell  down  under  Balaam  :  and  Ba- 

28  laam's  anger  was  kindled,  and  he  smote  the  ass  with  a  staff.  And  the  Lord  opened 
the  mouth  of  the  ass,  and  she  said  unto  Balaam,  What  have  I  done  unto  thee,  that 

29  thou  hast  smitten  me  these  three  times  ?  And  Balaam  said  unto  the  ass,  Because 
thou  hast  mocked  me :  I  would  there  were  a  sword  in  mine  hand,  for  now  would  I 

30  kill  thee.  And  the  ass  said  unto  Balaam,  Am  not  I  thine  ass  *upon  which  thou 
hast  ridden  ever  since  ^Ixvas  thine  unto  this  day?  was  I  ever  wont  to  do  so  unto 

31  thee  ?  And  he  said,  Nay.  Then  the  Lord  opened  the  eyes  of  Balaam,  and  he 
saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord  standing  in  the  way,  and  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand : 

32  and  he  bowed  down  his  head,  and  fell  flat  on  his  face'  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
said  unto  him,  Wherefore  hast  thou  smitten  thine  ass  these  three  times  ?     Behold, 

33  I  went  out  to  withstand  thee,*  because  thy  way  is  perverse  before  me :  And  the  ass 
saw  me,  and  turned  from  me  these  three  times :  unless  she  had  turned  from  me, 

34  surely  now  also  I  had  slain  thee,  and  saved  her  alive.  And  Balaam  said  unto  the 
angel  of  the  Lord,  I  have  sinned  ;  for  I  knew  not  that  thou  stoodest  in  the  way 


CHAP.  XXII.  22-40. 


127 


35  against  me  :  now  therefore,  ^if  it  displease  thee,  I  will  get  me  back  again.  And 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  said  uuto  Balaam,  Go  with  the  men :  but  only  the  word 
that  I  shall  speak  uuto  thee,  that  thou  shalt  speak.  So  Balaam  went  with  the 
princes  of  Balak. 

36  And  when  Balak  heard  that  Balaam  was  come,  he  went  out  to  meet  him  unto  a 

37  city  of  Moab,  which  is  in  the  border  of  Arnon,  which  is  in  the  utmost  coast.  And 
Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Did  I  not  earnestly  send  unto  thee  to  call  thee  ?  where- 
fore earnest  thou  not  unto  me  ?  am  I  not  able  indeed  to  promote  thee  to  honour  ? 

38  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Lo,  I  am  come  unto  thee  :  have  I  now  any  power 
at  all  to  say  any  thing  ?  the  word  that  God  putteth  in  my  mouth,  that  shall  I 

39  speak.     And  Balaam   went  with  Balak,     and  they  came  unto  *Kirjath-huzoth. 

40  And  Balak  offered  oxen  and  sheep,  and  sent  to  Balaam,  and  to  the  princes  that 
were  with  him. 


*  Marg.  Who  hast  ridden  upon  me. 

*  Marg.  To  be  an  adversary  unto  thee. 


*  Marg.  Ever  .linee  thou  wabt. 

*  Marg.  If  it  be  evilin  thine  eyes. 


*  Marg.  bowed  himself. 
*  Marg.  a  city  of  streets. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  22.  TT\r\  the  participle  "  was  going  "  denoting  here  not  only  a  continuous  journey,  but  a  tendency  and 

striving  to  the  end. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  24.  Sij,'tyiO  a  narrow  or  hollow  way,  1  Kings  xx.  10;  Isa.  xl.  12,  handfuls.    Perhaps  a  path  so  narrow 

that  one  could  only  pass  along  step  by  step. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  19.  Lit.  I  had  killed  thee — it  had  already  been  done. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  32.  jCaty;  to  be  an  adversary.    £3T'  to  precipitate,  to  be  headlong. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  33.  '71X,  perhaps.    There  is  no  sufficient  authority  for  the  rendering  unless,  surely. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  39.  n^]fn,  streets  of  the  city,  in  which  markets  were  held  or  trade  carried  on. — A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 

He  saddled  his  ass  and  departed  with  the 
princely  envoys  and  his  own  servants.  But  the 
anger  of  God  was  aroused,  because  he  went — 
that  is,  went  cherishing  the  hope  that  he  would 
still  win  Jehovah  to  his  own  wish  and  plan. 
Since  he  now  goes  out  with  hostile  intent  toward 
God's  people,  he  encounters  the  divine  opposi- 
tion in  the  definite  form  of  the  Angel  of  Jehovah. 
The  seer  himself  is  indeed  blinded  through  his 
insincerity  and  falsehood ;  but  his  ass,  on  the 
contrary,  has  become  clear-sighted.  It  under- 
takes his  part  as  a  sign  that  he  has  taken  upon 
himself  the  part  of  the  brute.  He  does  not  see 
the  angel  because  his  thoughts  brood  upon  the 
brilliant  future  which  presents  itself  to  his 
view.  Still  in  the  back-ground  of  his  being, 
stirred  by  his  evil  conscience,  the  visionary 
power  partly  freed  from  restraint,  the  terror  of 
his  spirit  passed  into  the  fear  of  spirits,  which 
at  first  quickens  the  vision  of  the  ass,  and  then 
indirectly,  through  its  strange  acts,  works  upon 
himself.  Three  times  the  ass  starts  back  af- 
frighted at  the  sight  of  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
standing  in  the  way  with  a  drawn  sword  threat- 
ening death,  in  his  hand.  It  is  not  strange  that 
the  animal  in  sympathy  with  its  master  should 
think  that  it  might  pass  by  the  angel.  Thus  at 
first  it  starts  aside  into  the  field  ;  then  when 
the  angel  bars  the  path  between  the  vineyard 
walls,  it  presses  closely  against  the  wall,  thereby 
crushing  the  foot  of  the  prophet ;  and  then  at 
last  when  it  must  pass  through  a  narrow  path, 
in  which  there  was  no  room  to  turn  either  to 
the  right  hand  or  the  left,  with  the  dread  form 


right  before  it,  the  ass  falls  upon  its  knees. 
It  has  no  power  to  proceed.  But  now  Balaam, 
in  the  heat  of  passion,  beats  it  the  third  time. 
Here  Jehovah  opens  the  mouth  of  the  ass,  and 
a  conversation  takes  place  between  the  rider 
and  his  beast.  The  visionary  condition  of  the 
prophet  had  been  already  awakened  and  deve- 
loped since  he  heard  the  ass  speak ;  but  it  comes 
out  decidedly  when  reminded  that  the  faithful 
animal  had  never  behaved  in  this  strange  way 
before,  and  that  therefore  some  very  unusual 
surroundings  must  be  at  work.  Now  Jehovah 
can  open  the  eyes  of  Balaam,  that  he  also  may 
see  the  angel.  Knobel  here  relates  various 
similar  instances  of  speaking  animals,  horses, 
cattle,  sheep,  and  even  generally  of  cases  of 
brute  speech  (p.  184  and  185).  The  negative 
criticism  is  interested  in  asserting  that  accord- 
ing to  the  writer,  the  ass  has  actually  [i.  e.  ex- 
ternally) spoken,  and  that  Balaam  heard  its 
utterances  with  his  ears.  He  enumerates  a  list 
of  authors  from  Josephus  to  Baumgarten  and 
Kurtz,  who  hold  this  positive  view.  AVhen  he 
cites  the  passage  in  2  Pet.  ii.  16  in  corroboration 
of  this  view,  he  allows  to  the  New  Testament  as 
little  as  to  the  Old  a  symbolical  method  of  ex- 
pression, or  one  which  recognizes  the  reality  of 
the  inner  world.  The  other  interpretation  ad- 
vocated by  Maimonides,  Herder,  Jahn,  Mi- 
CHAELis,  Dathe,  Steudel,  Tholuck,  Hengsten- 
BERQ,  that  it  was  only  in  a  vision  or  dream  that 
Balaam  heard  the  ass  speak,  and  that  the  hear- 
ing of  the  words  was  barely  (barely  an  inward !) 
an  inward  occurrence,  he  thinks  may  easily  be 
disproved.  "  The  author  says  nothing  of  a 
vision  or  dream,"  etc.  Hengstenberq  has  justly 
vindicated  the  reality  of  visionary  states,  and 


128 


NUMBERS. 


has  adduced  many  arguments  to  prove  that  the 
narrative  here  treats  of  inner  visions  and  voices 
in  the  form  of  external  and  bodily  seeing  and 
hearing.  Henostenbero's  merit  is  all  the  greater 
because  he  did  not  have  a  clear  hermeneutical 
understanding  of  the  biblical,  historico-ideal  or 
symbolical  style,  on  which  to  rest.  His  expla- 
nation of  the  offering  of  Isaac,  of  Jephthah's 
daughter,  and  of  the  Egyptian  miracles,  is  enti- 
tled to  a  like  praise,  and  one  may  well  conjecture 
that  his  contempt  for  the  superficial  character 
of  many  of  the  negative  critics,  may  have  be- 
trayed him  later  into  extreme  utterances.  Keil 
seeks  to  establish  an  intermediate  view.  "  The 
angel  did  really  appear  upon  the  road,  and  in 
the  outward  world  of  the  senses;  but  the  form 
was  not  a  grossly  sensuous  or  material  form, 
like  the  bodily  frame  of  an  ordinary  being,  foi- 
then  Balaam  would  inevitably  have  seen  him." 
This  conception  is  perfectly  justified,  but  then 
■when  he  treats  of  the  speaking  of  the  ass,  he 
falls  back  into  a  vacillating  state  between  Kurtz 
and  Hengstenbero.  Expositors  who  regard  the 
letter  more  than  the  spirit,  sensuous  more  than 
inner  experiences,  have  been  led  here  to  various 
and  specious  shifts  and  subterfuges.  Against 
the  supposition  of  a  spectral  angelic  appearance, 
which  might  alarm  an  animal  of  any  species  akin 
to  that  here,  we  have  nothing  to  mention  ;  but 
the  examples  cited  by  Hengstenberg  (after  Pas- 
savant,  pp.  54-61)  according  to  which  the  ter- 
rors of  a  visionary  man,  may  prove  the  cause  and 
occasion  of  the  fright  of  an  animal  standing  in 
sympathetic  relations  with  him  deserve  consi- 
deration. 

Balaam  prostrates  himself  before  the  angel  of 
the  Lord.  For  the  first  time  the  terror  of  Jeho- 
vah overcomes  him.  Had  it  come  upon  him  im- 
mediately he  would  have  diod.  The  angel  tells 
him  that  his  ass  had  saved  his  life.  He  had 
withstood  him  in  the  way,  because  his  way  was 
headlong,  one  which  would  plunge  him  into  de- 
struction. [The  rendering  in  our  version  un- 
less she  had  turned  from  me,  surely  now, 
etc.,  is  not  in  accordance  with  the  usage  of  the 
language.  The  word  rendered  unless  occurs 
nowhere  else  in  that  sense.  It  is  perhaps.  Per- 
haps she  turned  out  before  me.  Why  is  not  ex- 
pressed. The  result  is  that  he  was  saved  from 
death.  But  whether  it  was  the  instinctive  affec- 
tion of  the  animal  for  its  master,  as  Keil  sup- 
poses, or  more  probably  the  dread  and  terror 
which  overwhelmed  it,  as  the  narrative  seems  to 
imply,  which  led  it  to  turn,  is  not  said. — A.  G.]. 
Bala;im  confesses  that  he  has  sinned — but  how  ? 
For  I  knew^  not  that  thou  stoodest  in 
the  Viray  against  me. — lie  does  not  search 
deeply  into  the  nature  of  his  sin.  His  obedience, 
too,  springs  only  from  fear,  when  he  says,  if  it 
displease  thee  I  ■will  get  me  back  again. 
In  the  if  his  after  fate  is  again  foreshadowed. 
The  same  angel  who  withstood  him  in  the  way, 
now  bids  him  to  go  on,  but  reminds  him  anew 
that  he  must  speak  only  what  he — now  the  angel 
of  Jehovah — should  say  to  him.  [It  was  not  the 
journey  which  was  displeasing  to  God,  but  the 
spirit  and  intent  with  which  it  was  pursued.  The 
angelic  appearance  was  for  this  purpose:  to 
make  a  sharp  and  deep  impression  upon  the 
mind  of  Balaam,  to  rouse  his  slumbering  con- 


science, and  to  make  him  quick  to  hear  and  at- 
tentive to  what  Jehovah  should  speak.  That  was 
attained,  although  the  moral  condition  of  Balaam 
was  not  changed,  and  hence  he  is  bidden  to  pro- 
ceed.— A.  G.].  This  is  now  his  purpose.  He 
has  made  progress  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  has 
come  nearer  his  salvation,  because  he  proceeds 
with  the  determination  to  obey  the  word  of  Je- 
hovah, but  still  because  his  insincerity  continues 
he  is  still  nearer  destruction. 

His  reception  by  Balak  is  ceremonious  and 
splendid,  although  accompanied  by  mild  rebukes. 
The  location  of  the  city  at  which  Balak  met  him 
corresponds  entirelj'  with  the  circumstances  of 
the  times.  It  lay  upon  the  Arnon,  formerly  in  a 
central  position,  now  upon  the  borders,  since  the 
Amorites  had  formed  out  of  the  other  half,  the 
kingdom  of  Heshbon,  within  which  the  Israelites 
now  lay  encamped.  Balaam  declares  at  once 
that  he  had  come  indeed,  but  only  to  speak  what 
God  (Elohim)  should  put  into  his  mouth.  [He 
practices  the  same  concealment  here  as  with  the 
messengers  of  Moab  at  first.  He  does  not  tell 
Balak  that  Jehovah  had  forbidden  him  to  come 
and  curse  the  people,  and  that  only  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  blessed.  Origen  holds  the  notion, 
Bible  Com.,  that  as  Balaam's  heart  was  filled 
with  the  lust  of  gain,  God  did  not  put  the  word 
into  his  heart,  but  only  into  his  mouth. — A.  G.]. 
Thus  they  enter  in  company  the  new  capital — 
city  of  streets — perhaps  as  a  new  city  still  in- 
complete. The  great  project  was  inaugurated 
with  solemn  sacrifices.  Keil  thinks  the  city  at 
which  they  met  was  Areopolis.  Knobel  prefers 
Ir  Moab,  since  Areopolis  lies  too  far  to  the  south. 
Thence  they  went  (Knobel,  p.  137)  northward, 
or  northwestward  along  the  Arnon  to  Kirjath- 
Huzoth  (Jer.  xlviii.  24,  41,  Keriot).  The  offer- 
ings which  were  brought  immediately  were,  in 
the  custom  of  antiquity,  a  prayer  for  success  in 
their  undertaking.  [Kirjath-Huzoth  lay  not  far 
from  the  Aruon,  and  near  Bamoth-Baal.  Its  situ- 
ation is  now  known  as  the  ruins  of  Shihan, 
"  which  lie  on  a  slight  eminence  about  four 
miles  west  by  south  of  the  site  assigned  to  Ar. 
or  Ir."     Bible  Com.— A.  G.]. 

[It  is  scarcely  a  fair  representation  which  Dr. 
Lange  makes  above,  when  he  says,  "It  is  in  the 
interest  of  the  negative  criticism  to  insist  upon 
the  actual  and  external  occurrences  of  the  events 
here  recorded,"  as  if  the  narrative  was  thereby 
involved  in  hopeless  difficulty.  The  question  is 
one  merely  of  interpretation,  dividing  those  who 
are  firm  believers  both  in  the  narrative  as  in- 
spired, and  in  the  miraculous  nature  of  the  events 
recorded.  As  stated  by  Hengstenbero,  it  is 
whether  the  speaking  of  the  ass  is  to  be  regarded 
as  an  outward  or  inward  occurrence,  whether 
the  words  attributed  to  it,  actually  went  from  it 
to  the  external  ear  of  Balaam,  or  were  words 
only  for  his  inward  ear  or  sense,  a  perception  by 
him  in  an  ecstatic  or  visionary  condition.  He 
advocates  adroitly  and  earnestly  the  latter  view, 
{Geschichie  Bileams,  pp.  48-63)  while  Kurtz  {Ge- 
schich.  des  Alien  Biindes,  Vol.  2,  pp.  468-478)  ar- 
gues strenuously  for  the  former.  Both  hold  to 
the  supernatural  character  of  the  event. 

The  ordinary  reader  here  would  be  in  no  doubt 
as  to  what  the  writer  intended.  Using  language 
in  its  common  acceptation  we  have  not  only  a 


CHAP.  XXII.  22-40. 


129 


real    occurrence,    but    one  in   the  world   of  the 
senses.     The   history  of  the  interpretation,  not 
only  among  the  Jews  but  in  the  Christian  Church, 
shows  that  this  is  the  obvious  import  of  the  nar- 
rative.    The  other  view  owes  its  origin  probably, 
not  to  anything  implied  or  suggested  in  the  nar- 
rative, but  to  the  feeling    that   in  some   way  the 
record  here  was  peculiarly  open  to  reproach,  or 
to  the  hope  that  the   miracle  might   be   relieved 
of  the  difficulties  which  attend  it,  or  at  least  be 
brought  more  within  the   reach  of  our  compre- 
hension and  explanation.     The  difficulties  which 
are  found  in  the  narrative  upon  the  ordinary  in- 
terpretation, and   which  form  the  staple  of  the 
arguments  against  it,  are  that  Balaam  expresses 
no  surprise  or  astonishment  when  the  ass  speaks 
with  man's  voice,  but  actually  proceeds  to  hold 
a  conversation   with  it,  as  with   a  fellow-man; 
and  that  to  suppose  the  ass  actually  to  speak  in- 
volves a  breach  of  that  eternal  insuperable  bar- 
rier which  God  has  placed  between  man  and  the 
brute  creation.     We  pass  here  with  a  brief  sen- 
tence, the  circumstance  upon  which  great  stress 
has  been  laid,  that  the  servants  of  Balaam  and 
the  messengers  of  Balak  do  not  appear  to  have 
heard  the  words  of  the  ass  ;  for  it  is  not  certain 
that  either  one  or  the  other  were  present  with 
Balaam  at  the  time;  it  is  probable  that  the  Mo- 
abitish  envoys  had  now  gone  on  in  advance  to 
(ver.  36),    announce  the  approach  of  Balaam  ; 
and  if  they  were  actually  present  the  fact  that 
they  are  not  mentioned   proves  nothing.     Argu- 
ments from  silence  are  confessedly  invalid.     We 
must  free  our  minds,  too,  as  far  as  possible,  from 
the  idea  that  Balaam  is   here  in  his   prophetic 
calling  or  work.     He  is   here   simply  as  a  man 
blinded  by  passion   and  struggling  against  his 
convictions    and  conscience.     There  is  no  pro- 
phetic communication  made  to  him,  and  he  cer- 
tainly utters  none.     And  even  on  the  supposition, 
which   is   a  violent  one,  that    the    words.  Then 
the  LORD  opened   the   eyes   of  Balaam, 
refer  to  the  inward  eye — to  his  visionary  condi- 
tion— the  speaking  of  the  ass  occurred  before  he 
was  in  this  condition,  and  was  indeed  on  this 
supposition  the  occasion  for  his  being  brought 
into  it.     The   fact  therefore  that  Balaam  after- 
wards speaks  of  himself  as  the  man  whose  eyes 
are  open — open,  i.  e.,  in  the  visionary  or  ecstatic 
sense,  his  bodily  eyes  closed  that  his  eyes  within 
may  be  open — has  no  bearing  upon  the  interpre- 
tation of  this  passage.     Whatever  may  have  been 
true  then,  when  he  fell  into  a  prophetic  ecstacy 
or  trance,  there  is  no  such  condition   here — cer- 
tainly- there  is  no  such  condition  until   after  the 
dumb  ass  speaks  with  man's  voice. 

But  the  difficulties  ;  are  they  serious  ?  Is  it 
incredible  or  even  strange  that  Balaam  in  his 
Bage  and  blinded  by  his  lusts,  should  have  heard 
the  articulate  words  uttered  by  his  ass,  and  yet 
not  manifest  surprise  and  even  go  on  in  the  con- 
versation ?  The  hardening  and  blinding  power 
of  sin  cannot  be  exaggerated,  especially  when 
the  sin  is  persisted  in  against  the  voice  of  con- 
science. In  some  respects  Balaam  was  like  those 
who  heard  the  words  and  saw  the  miraculous 
work  of  our  Lord,  and  still  hated  and  persecuted 
Him.  They  saw  enough  to  produce  the  convic- 
tion— secret  if  not  avowed — that  Christ  was  what 
He  claimed  to  be :  and  yet  they  went  from  the 
9 


open  grave  of  Lazarus  to  plot  His  destruction. 
They  blinded  themselves  to  the  light  which  shone 
upon  them.  This  is  the  vei-y  process  through 
which  Balaam  had  been  passing.  Then  too  the 
very  reply  of  Balaam  to  the  reproach  of  his  ass 
shows  that  he  was  swept  away  with  insane  rage. 
The  violence  of  his  passion  leaves  little  room  for 
reflection,  and  prevents  his  surprise,  or  his  ex- 
pression of  it,  if  it  was  felt.  It  is  true,  more- 
over, that  the  difficulty  here  lies  with  equal 
weight  against  the  theory  that  the  words  were 
only  heai'd  by  Balaam  in  his  ecstacy.  For  if  it 
is  difficult  to  conceive  that  Balaam  should  have 
heard  the  dumb  ass  actually  use  articulate  speech, 
without  uttering  any  astonishment,  it  is  at  least 
equally  difficult  to  explain  how  he  should  hear 
the  groans  and  shudderings  of  his  ass,  coming 
to  his  inward  sense  at  least  as  articulate  words  ; 
how  he  could  be  the  conscious  subject  of  super- 
natural power  and  still  persist  in  his  brutal  pas- 
sion without  any  reverence  or  fear.  If  the  ass 
spake  to  him,  although  she  did  not  speak  liter- 
ally, how  could  he  go  on  and  reason  with  her 
and  give  no  sign  of  dismay  ?  In  either  case  the 
answer  is  found  only  in  the  fearful  power  of  sin 
to  blind  the  man,  and  make  him  insensible.  Pha- 
raoh could  look  over  his  wasted  land,  and  see  the 
signs  of  sorrow  and  death  hanging  from  every 
door,  and  rise  up  and  pursue  the  people  of  God; 
unaware,  apparently,  that  God  had  dealt  with 
him. 

But  is  it  true  that  the  line  which  separates 
between  the  intelligent  and  brute  creation,  is 
here  broken  ?  Has  the  speaking  ass  crossed  the 
wide  chasm  ?  If  it  has  passed,  as  Kurtz  says, 
from  the  sphere  of  nature  to  that  of  spirit,  from 
the  impersonal  to  the  personal  creature,  then 
indeed  the  line  has  been  broken  and  the  objec- 
tion to  any  such  assumption  would  be  of  force. 
But  no  such  change  is  here  implied.  The  ass  is 
not  presented  as  a  rational  creature  because  she 
speaks  with  man's  voice.  Then  every  parrot 
and  speaking  animal  would  have  crossed  the 
line.  Mere  articulate  sounds  do  not  constitute 
human  speech;  but  words  as  the  vehicle  of 
thought,  expression  of  the  spirit.  When  the 
Lord  opened  the  mouth  of  the  ass,  He  enabled 
it  to  use  articulate  sounds  instead  of  inarticulate 
groans.  The  form  was  changed,  not  the  nature. 
She  makes  no  revelation  from  God,  does  not 
speak  to  Balaam  of  his  headlong  way,  simply 
utters  the  animal  feelings  and  experiences  under 
the  brutal  treatment  of  her  master.  Balaam 
would  not  understand  her  shudderings  and 
groans,  the  natural  and  ordinary  method  of  ex- 
pression. God  gave  her  articulate  utterances 
in  her  case,  the  supernatural,  extraordinary  and 
therefore  more  startling  and  impressive  utter- 
ance. It  is  the  mere  animal  soul,  feeling,  expe- 
rience put  into  the  form  of  human  speech.  The 
animal  has  not  changed  its  nature,  has  not  passed 
into  the  rank  of  intelligent  creatures.  The  line 
fixed  by  God,  which  separates  the  two,  has  not 
been  broken  through  or  crossed.  The  objections 
therefore  to  the  actual  historical  occurrence,  in 
the  world  of  the  senses,  have  no  constraining 
force.  All  miraculous  events  involve  difficulties 
to  our  minds.  We  are  not  competent  to  explain 
them.  Any  attempt  to  modify  our  interpretation 
of  the  record  in  order  to  avoid  them  is  dangerous. 


130 


NUMBERS. 


Oa  the  other  hand  it  may  be  said :  1.  That 
the  rule  "  that  we  are  not  to  conceive  of  dreams, 
visions  or  ecstacies  in  the  biblical  history  unless 
they  are  clearly  and  undoubtedly  intimated  in 
the  record"  seems  a  good  rule  and  well  estab- 
lished (Kurtz,  p.  468).  There  is  no  intimation 
of  a  vision  or  ecstacy  here.  The  whole  drift  of 
the  narrative  bears  against  such  a  supposition. 
The  state  of  Balaam's  mind,  the  conscious  con- 
flict going  on  within  him,  between  his  convic- 
tion of  what  was  right,  and  the  power  of  his 
lusts;  the  eager  pursuit  of  wealth,  though  he 
knew  it  was  "the  wages  of  unrighteousness," 
upon  which  he  was  now  apparently  more  intent 
than  ever,  now  that  he  had  gone  so  far,  was 
standing  upon  the  borders  of  Moab,  and  saw  the 
coveted  prize  almost  within  his  grasp,  precludes 
the  idea  of  a  visionary  condition.  Lange,  and 
even  Hengstenberg  himself,  concedes  that  it 
was  not  developed  until  the  ass  startled,  terror- 
stricken  at  the  sight  of  the  angel,  restive,  un- 
manageable, groaning  under  its  cruel  scourgings, 
had  awakened  it.  There  is  nothing  surely  in 
the  brutal  passion  which  Balaam  manifests, 
which  should  have  prepared  him  to  interpret  the 
inarticulate  groans  of  the  ass  into  human  speech. 
The  statement  "  that  the  Lord  opened  the  eyes 
of  Balaam  "  is  no  intimation  that  a  change  had 
occurred  in  his  internal  state  or  condition.  It 
is  the  opening  of  the  outward  bodily  eye,  as  we 
have  already  seen,  which  had  been  closed  by  the 
eager,  intent  pursuit  of  gain — his  reawakening 
to  the  occurrences  in  the  external  world — so  that 
his  senses  were  now  in  full  exercise. 

2.  The  words  "  the  Lord  opened  the  mouth  of 
the  ass,"  although  Keil  in  his  attempt  to  occupy 
a  middle  ground  holds  that  they  are  not  decisive, 
"  that  all  that  they  imply  is  that  the  ass  spake 
in  a  way  that  was  perceptible  to  Balaam,"  ap- 
pear to  be  inexplicable  on  the  theory  that  the 
miracle  was  wrought  in  Balaam.  It  is  not  said 
that  the  Lord  opened  the  ears  of  Balaam,  or  that 
at  this  stage  of  the  narrative  any  effect  had  been 
wrought  upon  him.  He  was  still  under  the  un- 
controlled sway  of  his  lusts  and  passion.  The 
power  of  God  was  upon  the  dumb  animal,  open- 
ing bis  mouth  to  speak,  as  the  Apostle  Peter  says 
(2  Pet.  ii.  16)  "  with  man's  voice."  It  does  not 
meet  the  force  of  this  argument  to  say,  that  there 
was  indeed  some  extraordinary  divine  work  call- 
ing forth  the  words  (!)  of  the  ass,  but  that  bow 
the  words  were  heard,  with  the  outward  ear  or 
not,  is  not  said,  for  the  point  here  is,  that  the 
narrative  seems  to  say  and  must  be  understood  to 
say,  unless  the  words  are  wrested  to  meet  the  exi- 
gencies of  a  theory,  that  the  supernatural  power 
was  upon  the  ass.  Its  mouth  was  opened.  And 
this  interpretation — the  plain,  obvious  one— is 
confirmed  by  the  words  of  the  Apostle,  who  gives 
ns  not  his  own  construction,  but  that  which  had 


been  common  with  the  people  of  God,  from  the 
event  itself  down  to  his  day,  and  to  which  he 
sets  his  seal  as  speaking  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

3.  The  speaking  of  the  ass  and  the  appearance 
of  the  angel  are  closely  connected.  If  the  one 
is  heard  only  in  the  inward  ear  of  Balaam,  the 
other  appears  only  to  his  inward  eye.  All  ex- 
ternality is  lost.  The  whole  occurrence  is  sub- 
jective, and  we  have  no  criterion  left  by  which 
to  test  its  character,  or  distinguish  it  from  any 
mere  vivid  imagination.  Then  how  are  we  to 
explain  the  fact,  admitted  by  all,  (though  attri- 
buted by  Hengstenberg  to  a  kind  of  second 
sight)  that  the  ass  saw  the  angel,  not  in  a  vague, 
dim,  shadowy  form,  but  distinctly  and  repeatedly, 
as  a,  definite  form,  sword  in  hand,  and  in  a 
threatening  attitude.  The  narrative  will  not 
allow  us  to  suppose  that  the  angel  was  distinctly 
and  visibly  present  to  the  ass,  and  only  inwardly 
present  to  Balaam.  If  the  one  occurred  in  the 
external  world — if  the  Angel  was  present  to  the 
senses — there  is  a  strong  presumption  that  the 
words  were  spoken  to  the  external  ear  or  sense 
of  Balaam. 

4.  The  whole  object  of  the  Angelic  appearance 
in  its  humbling  effect  upon  Balaam,  and  the  re- 
sult upon  the  prophetic  word  which  he  should 
utter,  is  secured  more  certainly  upon  the  theory 
that  the  words  were  actually  spoken  by  the  ass, 
and  actually  heard  by  the  prophet.  If  the  whole 
effect  was  wrought  in  Balaam,  if  the  ass  did  no- 
thing more  than  to  groan  and  cry  out  under  the 
abuse  it  suffered,  if  it  saw  no  Angel,  or  only 
sympathized  with  its  master,  who  interpreted 
these  groans  and  sbudderings  into  words,  then 
there  was  nothing  so  humbling  to  the  pride  of  the 
Seer.  He  may  have  been  ashamed  upon  reflec- 
tion, of  his  blindness  and  passion  and  lust.  On 
any  theory  the  event  was  impressive.  But  if  he 
who  prided  himself  upon  having  eyes  for  divine 
revelation  did  not  see  in  his  blindness  what  the 
ass  saw  so  clearly ;  if  the  irrational  brute  re- 
proved and  admonished  his  rational  but  unrea- 
sonable master;  if  the  cowering,  shrinking  ass 
falling  to  the  ground  in  terror  has  thus  saved  his 
owner  from  the  doom  upon  which  he  was  madly 
rushing  ;  if  he  was  thus  brought  to  feel  that  his 
lusts  had  led  him  to  take  the  place  of  the  brute, 
it  was  an  humbling  but  salutary  experience.  He 
saw  clearly  enough  that  his  own  desires  and 
passions  could  not  be  followed;  that  he  must  in- 
deed speak  only  the  words  which  the  Angel  says : 
I  shall  speak  unto  thee.  That  was  the  end 
sought;  and  how  effectually  it  was  secured  we 
learn  when  we  hear  the  prophet  saying  at  his 
first  interview  with  Balak :  have  I  no-w  any 
power  at  all  to  say  any  thing  ?  The  word 
that  God  putteth  in  my  mouth  that  shall 
I  speak. — A.  G.] 


CHAP.  XXII.  41— XXIII.  10. 


131 


E.— THE  FIRST  BLESSING  OP  BALAAM. 
Chapter  XXIL  41— XXIII.  10. 

41  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  morrow,  that  Balak  took  Balaam,  and  brought  him 
up  into  the  high  places  of  Baal,  that  thence  he  might  see  the  utmost  part  of  the 
people. 

Chap.  XXIII.     And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here  seven  altars,  and  pre- 

2  pare  me  here  seven  oxen  and  seven  rams.     And  Balak  did  as  Balaam  had  spoken  ; 

3  and  Balak  and  Balaam  offered  on  every  altar  a  bullock  and  a  ram.  And  Balaam 
said  unto  Balak,  Stand  by  thy  burnt  offering,  and  I  will  go :  peradventure  the 
Lord  will  come  to  meet  me  ;  and  whatsoever  he  sheweth  me  I  will  tell  thee.     And 

4  he  went  to  an  high  place.  ^  And  God  met  Balaam  :  and  he  said  unto  him,  I  have 
prepared  seven  altars,  and  I  have  offered  upon  every  altar  a  bullock  and  a  ram. 

5  And  the  Lord  put  a  word  in  Balaam's  mouth,  and  said.  Return  unto   Balak,  and 

6  thus   thou   shalt  speak.      And  he   returned   unto  him,  and,  lo,  he  stood  by  his 

7  burnt  sacrifice,  he,  and  all  the  princes  of  Moab.  And  he  took  up  his  parable, 
and  said, 

Balak  the  king  of  Moab  hath  brought  me  from  Aram, 
Out  of  the  mountains  of  the  East,  saying, 
Come  curse  me,  Jacob, 
And  come,  defy  Israel. 

8  How  shall  I  curse,  whom  God  hath  not  cursed  ? 

Or  how  shall  I  defy,  whom  the  Lord  hath  not  defied  ? 

9  For  from  the  top  of  the  rocks  I  see  him, 
And  from  the  hills  I  behold  him : 

Lo,  the  people  shall  dwell  alone, 
And  shall  not  be  reckoned  among  the  nations. 
10         Who  can  count  the  dust  of  Jacob, 

And  the  number  of  the  fourth  part  of  Israel  ? 
Let  me^  die  the  death  of  the  righteous, 
And  let  ray  last  end  be  like  his ! 


1  Marg.  on  he  went  solitary. 


*  Marg.  my  soul  or  my  life. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  41.  Heb.  Bamoth-Baal— a  definite  locality.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  3.  'Sty— a  bare,  bleak  height— from  7^2'^,  to  scrape,  to  make  bare,  Job  xxxiil.  21.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  7.  7ty0 — "  a  simile,  then  a  proverb,  because  the  proverb  consists  of  comparisons  and  figures."  Keii. 

-   T 

HiESCH,  however,  says  that  "  the  word  always  denotes  a  sentence  or  saying  in  which  there  is  a  progress  from  the 
individual  and  concrete  to  the  universal  or  general,"  and  that  it  is  so  used  here. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  7.  Defy.    Better :  be  angry  against,  threaten. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  10.  Or :  who  can  number  the  fourth  part=or  perhaps  the  progeny.    Bible  Commentabt,  Hibsch. — A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

1.  Balak  is  politic  and  cunning.  He  leads  Ba- 
laam to  a  mountain  summit,  from  whence  he  could 
see  only  the  ends  of  the  Israelitish  camp.  A 
email  part  of  the  camp  he  must  see,  so  that  from 
his  mountain  height  as  from  heaven  he  might 


hurl  down  the  lightnings  of  his  curse  upon  the 
people  ;  but  only  a  small  part,  lest  he  should  be 
too  deeply  impressed,  and  thus  his  readiness  to 
curee  might  be  restrained. 

[A  comparison,  however,  of  chap.  xxii.  41  with 
chap,  xxiii.  13  seem  to  show  that  in  the  former 
case  the  words  the  ends,  or  the  utmost  of 
the  people,  refer   not  to   a  small  part  of  the 


132 


NUMBERS. 


camp,  but  to  its  extreme  limits.  He  overlooked 
the  whole  people,  even  to  its  ends  or  utmost 
bounds.  Balak  had  strong  confidence  that  his 
wish  would  be  secured.  It  was  essential  in  his 
view  that  the  people  should  be  seen  by  the  pro- 
phet, if  the  curse  was  to  take  effect.  He  led  him 
therefore  to  a  position  so  that  (he  whole  camp 
lay  stretched  out  before  him.  But  when  the 
prophet  blesses  instead  of  curses  Israel,  then 
apparently  thinking  that  his  miud  had  been  over- 
awed by  the  prospect ;  that  he  could  not  so  rea- 
dily curse,  a  people  so  numerous  and  powerful,  he 
leads  him  away  to  a  point  from  which  he  says 
"thou  shalt  see  only  the  utmost  part  of  them,  and 
Bhalt  not  see  them  all."  Thus  the  two  passages 
are  perfectly  consistent,  and  the  order  of  steps 
as  the  scene  unfolds  is  natural. — A.  G.] 

2.  Balaam  also  on  his  part  is  a  prudent 
schemer.  Balak  must  build  him  seven  altars,  and 
offer  upon  them  a  grand  sacrifice:  seven  bul- 
locks and  seven  rams,  the  largest  and  most  costly 
sacrifice,  in  the  doubled  seven.  In  connection 
with  this  pompous  pretence  of  piety  the  sacrifice 
bears  a  most  equivocal  character.  It  is  offered 
upon  the  high  places  of  Baal,  and  still,  as  it 
appears,  to  .Jehovah,  from  whom  he  inquires. 
But  for  which  of  the  two  were  the  bullocks  in- 
tended, and  for  which  the  rams?  Build  me 
here  seven  altars — says  Balaam — Stand  by 
thy  burnt  offering. — There  is,  in  fact,  a  vile 
union  between  heathenism  and  monotheism — be- 
tween yea  and  nay.  Then  Balaam  goes  up  alone 
to  a  bare  place,  or  a  bald  mountain  peak,  that  he 
may  see  as  much  as  possible  of  Israel,  and  that 
he  may  observe  a  sign,  and  thereby  secure  a  vi- 
sion. He  appeals  to  Elohim,  calling  to  witness 
his  sacrifice.  But  it  is  Jehovah  who  puts  the 
word  in  his  mouth;  it  proceeds  from  God  as  the 
God  of  Israel.  [B^tlaam  went  up  to  meet  augu- 
ries (chap.  xxiv.  1):  I  -will  go — peradven- 
ture  Jehovah -will  meet  me.  "He  hoped  to 
receive  or  discover  in  the  phenomena  of  nature 
arevelation  from  Jehovah."  Keil.  Hence  he  went 
as  the  heathen  augurs  were  wont  to  do,  to  the 
mountain  summit,  where  his  view  above  and 
around  him  would  be  unobstructed.  God  met 
Balaam,  not  "through  the  agencies  employed 
to  seek  Him,  dealing  in  this  case  in  an  excep- 
tional manner,"  Bible  Com.,  not  through  any 
appearance  or  sign  which  Balaam  was  to  clothe 
in  words,  but  put  a  word  in  his  mouth:  thus 
thou  Shalt  speak.  He  had  a  distinct  message 
from  which  he  could  not  vary. — A.G.] 

3.  Balaam's  first  saying  is  richer  in  its  form 
than  in  its  contents.  He  speaks  at  first  of  the 
great  expectations  with  which  his  coming  is 
awaited.  A  king  has  sent  for  him,  has  brought 
him  here  in  honor.  From  a  remote  land,  from 
the  far  distant  mountains  of  Mesopotamia,  he 
has  come  to  the  mountain  of  Moab.  And  for  this 
purpose,  that  he  should  curse  a  people  whom  he 
knew  not  only  as  Jacob,  but  as  Israel  (his  words 
are  fi'ly  chosen:  Curse,  doom  to  ■wrath). 
He  might  well  have  said:  How  shall  I  curse  him 
whom  Johovah  blesseth?  but  he  says  somewhat 
less:  whom  God  hath  not  cursed,  whom  God 
hath  not  threatened.  He  intimates  that  he  sees 
not  only  a  part  of  Israel,  as  Balak  wished,  but 


sees  it  in  its  whole  significance  and  nature,  as  if 
he  looked  down  upon  it  from  every  rocky  peak 
and  summit.  The  positive  blessing  includes 
three  things :  the  isolation  of  Israel  from  the 
heathen,  its  countless  number,  and  his  own  re- 
cognition of  the  righteous  in  it,  with  whom  he 
wished  to  die.  But  in  all  the  three  respects  the 
spirit  of  the  typical  word  expresses  much  more 
than  was  present  to  the  consciousness  of  Balaam, 
to  wit,  the  election  of  God's  people,  its  blessed 
and  immeasurable  extension,  and  the  salvation 
in  life  and  in  death  prepared  for  the  righteous. 
[Shall  dwell  alone — not  isolation,  freedom 
from  tumults,  and  thus  security — but  the  inward 
separation  in  character  and  in  their  relation  to 
God,  upon  which  the  outward  isolation  depended, 
and  of  which  it  was  the  symbol.  They  dwelt 
alone  only  while  they  clave  to  God — counted 
not  themselves  among  the  nations.  The 
whole  Israelitish  history  is  a  striking  comment 
upon  the  text.  As  the  description  applies  to  the 
N.  T.  Israel,  so  the  rule  likewise. 

Who  can  count  the  dust?— A  reference 

to  the  promise,  Gen.  xiii.  15,  which  was  already 
so  largely  fulfilled,  that  even  the  fourth  part, 
alluding,  as  Keil  thinks,  to  the  fourfold  arrange- 
ment of   the  camp,  could    not   be  numbered. — 

□'IK''',  a  term  applied  to  Israel  as  the  called  of 
God  who  is  just  and  right,  and  as  expressive  of 
the  end  of  their  calling — or  destination.  It  is  not 
so  much  descriptive  of  their  actual  character  as 
of  the  idea  of  the  people,  which  was  partly  real- 
ized in  the  natural  Israel,  but  is  to  be  actually 
and  fully  realized  in  the  spiritual.  It  is  always 
the  product  of  the  gracious  dealings  of  God  with 
His  people. 

Let  my  last  end  be  like  his. — Balaam 
could  not  curse  the  righteous  people.  His  better 
impulses  find  expression  in  the  wish  that  he 
might  share  with  them  at  least  in  their  death. 
The  Hebrew  word  refers  not  so  much  to  the  dy- 
ing as  to  that  which  follows  death,  the  futurity, 
the  last  estate.  (See  Ps.  xxxvii.  37,  38.)  While 
it  is  true  that  their  ideas  of  a  future  state  were 
as  yet  vague  and  indefinite,  it  is  not  true,  as 
Keil  says,  "that  the  Israelites  did  not  then  pos- 
sess a  certain  hope  of  a  blessed  life  beyond  the 
grave."  It  is  difficult  to  fix  just  the  amount  of 
light  they  enjoyed,  but  it  is  well  nigh  impossible 
to  read  the  utterances  of  the  word  in  regard  to 
their  death  without  feeling  that  the  light  shone 
for  them  and  upon  them.  And  he  who  walked 
with  God,  and  died  in  the  consciousness  of  the 
divine  grace  and  love,  could  never  have  supposed 
that  the  light  would  go  out  in  darkness,  or  that 
there  was  no  blessed  life  beyond  the  grave. — 
A.  G.] 

For  the  location  of  Bamoth-Baal  see  chap, 
xxi.  19,  20.  It  appears  here  as  the  most  remote 
point  from  which  the  camp  of  Israel  could  be 
seen.  For  the  ancient  custom  of  inaugurating 
religious  questions,  undertakings,  execrations  or 
blessings  with  sacrifices,  see  Knobel,  p.  187; 
Keil,  Clark's  Translation,  pp.  176,  177.  The 
sign  for  which  Balaam  went  out  alone  was  the 
view  of  Israel  which  should  form  a  sign  and  a 
vision  for  him. 


CHAP,  XXIII.  11-24.  138 


P.— THE  SECOND  BLESSING. 
Chap.  XXIII.  11-24. 

11  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  What  hast  thou  done  unto  me  ?     I  took  thee  to 

12  curse  mine  enemies,  and,  behold,  thou  hast  blessed  them  altogether.  And  he  an- 
swered and  said,  Must  I  not  take  heed  to  speak  that  which  the  Lord  hath  put  in 

13  my  mouth?  And  Balak  said  unto  him,  Come,  I  pray  thee,  with  me  unto  another 
place,  from  whence  thou  mayest  see  them :  thou  shalt  see  but  the  utmost  part  of 
them,  and  shalt  not  see  them  all :  and  curse  me  them  from  thence. 

14  And  he  brought  him  into  the  field  of  Zophim,  to  the  top  of  Pisgah,^  and  built 

15  seven  altars,  and  offered  a  bullock  and  a  ram  on  every  altar.     And  he  said  unto 

16  Balak,  Stand  here  by  thy  burnt  ofiering,  while  I  meet  the  LORD  yonder.     And 
the  Lord  met  Balaam,  and  put  a  word  in  his  mouth,  and  said,  Go  again  unto  Ba- 
ll lak,  and  say  thus.     And  when  he  came  to  him,  behold,  he  stood  by  his  burnt  of- 
fering, and  the  princes  of  Moab  with  him.     And  Balak  said  unto  him,  What  hath 
the  Lord  spoken  ? 

18  And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said, 

Rise  up,  Balak,  and  hear ; 

Hearken  unto  me,  thou  son  of  Zippor ; 

19  God  is  not  a  man  that  he  should  lie ; 
Neither  the  son  of  man  that  he  should  repent ; 
Hath  he  said — and  shall  he  not  do  it  f 

Or  hath  he  spoken — and  shall  he  not  make  it  good  ? 

20  Behold,  I  have  received  commandment  to  bless. 
And  he  hath  blessed  ;  and  I  cannot  reverse  it. 

21  He  hath  not  beheld  iniquity  in  Jacob, 
Neither  hath  he  seen  perverseness  in  Israel ; 
The  Lord  his  God  is  with  him. 

And  the  shout  of  a  king  is  among  them. 

22  God  brought  them  out  of  Egypt ; 

He  hath  as  it  were  the  strength  of  an  unicorn. 

23  Surely  there  is  no  enchantment  against"  Jacob, 
Neither  is  there  any  divination  against  Israel : 
According  to  this  time  it  shall  be  said  of  Jacob 
And  of  Israel,  What  hath  God  wrought ! 

24  Behold,  the  people  shall  rise  up  as  a  great  lion, 
And  lift  up  himself  as  a  young  lion : 

He  shall  not  lie  down  until  he  eat  of  the  prey 
And  drink  the  blood  of  the  slain. 

1  Marg.  the  hill.  *  Marg.  or  in. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  11.  ^13  r^3^3.    Thou  hast  blessed  to  bless.    Thou  hast  blessed  only  and  continually.— A.  G.] 
[Ver.  13.  iiri^ip  Di3X — correctly  rendered  the  utmost  part— not  as  including  the  whole,  but,  as  the  foilowing 
clause  shows,  a  small  part,  the  mere  stragglers  of  the  camp,  as  it  were. — A.  G.] 
[Ver.  14.  Zophim,  or  watchers,  or  spies. — A.  G.] 

fVer.  15.  Here— yonder.    f\2,  so— thus.    The  sense  is  not  local.    It  is  the  manner.— A.  G.] 
[Ver.  19.  Heb.  cause  it  to  stand. — A.  G.J 


134 


NUMBERS. 


[Ver.  20.  Literally:  I  have  taken,  received  to  bless.  How  he  had  received  it,  the  word  does  not  explain.  The 
Word,  however,  was  put  in  his  mouth,  and  hence  our  version  correctly  supplies  commandment.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  21.  Heb.  trouble,  sorrow,  suffering,  generally  as  the  result  of  sin— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  22.  The  participle  DK'VIO  designates  the  bringing  out  as  still  incomplete  and  going  forward.— A.  ii.j 

[Ver.  23.  In  both  cases  it  is  in,  not  against.  Auguries  and  divinations  are  not  practised  in  Israel.  They  had 
the  immediate  revelation.— A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL   AXD   CRITICAL. 

1.  Balak's  dissatisfaction  and  bis  renewed  at- 
tempt.    He  thinks  already  that  in  the  words  of 
Balaam  he  hears  the  utterance  of  the  most  defi- 
nite and  positive  blessing.     Balaam  appeals  to 
his  absolute  dependence.     Jehovah  put  the  words 
in  his  mouth.     But  now  the  blinded  and  super- 
stitious king  conceives  the  idea  that  he  has  made 
a  mistake  in  the  position  to  which  he  had  led  the 
prophet.     Jle  had  placed  him  at  first  where  lie 
could  see  only  a  part  of  the  camp.     It  now  ap- 
pears to  him  that  even  this  was  too  much.   Come 
thou  ■V7ith  me  to  another  place,  the  end 
of  the  end  of  them  (only  the  extreme,  meagre 
part  of  them)  thou  shalt  see,  and  sbalt  not 
see   them  all.     Keil  takes  just  the  opposite 
view.     Balak,  he  says,  "led  the  seer  to  the  field 
of  the  watchers  that  he  might  now  seethe  entire 
people."     He   explains  the    words   "thou  shalt 
not  see  them  all,"  as  referring  to  the  view  from 
Bamoth-Baal.      But  the  changed  position  for  the 
third  saying,  where  he  first  overlooked  the  whole 
camp  of  Israel,  lies  against  this  view.     The  full 
description  of  the  second  position  leads  also  to 
the  rejection  of  Keil's  view.     Kurtz's  theory 
also,  that  the  utmost  part  denotes  the  whole,  is 
to  be  rejected.     The  phrase  "  end  of  the  end"  is 
by  no  means  an  "  intolerable  tautology,"    but  a 
very  expressive  description.     The  field  of  the 
■watchers  is  clearly  an  elevated  plateau  upon 
Pisgah  from   which   watchers  made  their  obser- 
vations ;    but  that  does  not  determine  whether 
the  watchers  were  soldiers,  bird-augurs,  or  as- 
trologers ;    nor  does  it  inform  us  whether  this 
place  was  the  peak  Nebo  upon  Pisgah,  or  a  field 
of  Moab  upon  the  heights  of  Pisgah.     The  near 
lying  valley  regions  are  often  invisible  from  lofty 
summits  concealed  by   wooded   ridges   and  the 
lower  peaks.     In  any  case  the  design  of  Balak 
is  clear,  that  Balaam  should  see  as  little  as  possi- 
ble of  the  camp  of  Israel.    Balak  must  bring  again 
his  great  sacrifice.     I  will  go  to  meet  yon- 
der, viz.,  the  manifestation  of  God.     [I  will  go 
and  meet  "  is  a  technical  term  here  for  going  out 
for  auguries  or  for  a  divine  revelation,"  Keil. 
The  term  is  not  local,  but  expresses  the  purpose 
for  which  he  went. — A.  G.].     [IIirsch  has  an 
ingenious  and  striking  explanation  of  the  places 
chosen  by  Balak — Baal,  Zophim,  Poor — as  indi- 
cating in  his  mind    the   three    great   potencies 
which  decide  the  weal  or  woe  of  nations,  through 
each  of  which  he  hopes  to  secure  the  curse  of 
Balaam  and  the   ruin  of  his  foes.     First  Baal, 
the  physical  or  material,  then  the  field  of  eeers 
and  watchers,  the   intellectual,  and   then  Peer, 
the  moral.     He  would  see  how  richly  they  were 
endowed,  or  through  what  avenues  in  these  re- 
spects their  ruin  could  be  accomplished. — A.  G.] 
2.   The  blessing.     Now  he  begins  bis  blessing 
\rith  an  address  to  Balak.     He  must  rise  up  as 


if  to  receive  the  command  of  a  king  ;  nor  is  it  a 
mark  of  distinction  directly,  a  term  of  majesty  and 
glory  when  he  addresses  bim  as  the  Son  of  Zip- 
por.  With  his  first  word  he  reproves  the  thought 
of  Balak  that  God  might  perhaps  take  back  His 
word.  This  lies  entirely  beyond  the  power  of 
Balaam.*  So  also  with  the  declaration  I  have 
received  to  bless;  he  (God)  hath  blessed, 
and  I  cannot  reverse  it. — Now  also  he  speaks 
positively  of  blessing,  and  of  the  entire  failure 
of  the  purpose  to  curse.  The  blessing  branches 
into  the  following  parts:  1.  Israel's  blessed 
condition  spiritually.  No  iniquity  is  disco- 
vered in  Jacob,  and  (therefore)  no  trouble 
or  affliction  in  Israel. — Hence  there  are  no 
points  to  which  the  curse  can  attach  itself.  [This 
applies  not  to  individuals  in  their  moral  charac- 
ter, as  if  they  were  faultless  in  the  sight  of  God, 
but  to  the  people  in  their  calling  and  in  their 
covenant  relation  to  God. — A.  G.].  2.  Israel  is 
the  people  of  God.  Jehovah  is  with  him  as  his 
God.  He  Himself  is  the  King,  whose  trumpet 
note  sounds  among  them.  3.  Hence  his  way  is 
one  in  which  God  leads  him.  God  has  brought 
him  out  of  Egypt,  and  thus  he  goes  forward 
rapi'lly  and  with  the  irresistible  power  of  the 
buffalo.  [The  Reem  was  probably  some  species 
of  the  wild  ox,  of  great  fierceness  and  of  indomi- 
table strength.  See  Art.  Unicorn,  Smith's  £ib. 
Did. — A.  G.].  4.  Therefore  also  Israel  is  se- 
cure against  the  unclean  spirits  of  soothsaying 
and  divination.  On  the  contrary  it  was  guided 
by  the  pure  spirit  of  prophecy.  The  words  sound 
as  if  Balaam  uttered  judgment  upon  his  own 
equivocal  position.  ["  The  augury  and  the  divi- 
nation were  the  two  means  employed  by  the  hea- 
then for  looking  into  futurity."  There  was  no 
call  or  place  for  them  in  Israel.  It  was  not  only 
secure  against  their  arts,  but  they  had  no  basis, 
no  legitimate  existence.  According  to  the 
time,  i.  e.,  at  the  right  time,  in  due  time,  it 
shaU  be  said,  God  will  reveal  His  will  and  pur- 
poses.— A.  G.].  6.  Plence  the  lion-like  character 
of  the  people;  its  mighty,  terrible,  irresistible 
power ;  its  certain  triumph  over  its  foes.  [  Bible 
Com.  "Beyond  the  camp  Balaam's  eye  would  pass 
on  to  the  bed  of  the  Jordan.  It  was  perhaps  a 
lion  coming  up  in  his  strength  from  the  swelling 
of  that  stream  (Jer.  xlix.  19)  that  indicated  to 
him  this  similitude." — A.  G.]. 

Ver.  10.  We  have  already  spoken  of  the  appa- 
rent repenting  of  God  as  a  confirmation  of  His 
unchaugeablcness. 

Ver.  21.  We  prefer  not  to  regard  God  as  the 
subject  of  WSD  and  HXI,  but  to  take  them  as  an 
indefinite  form  of  the  third  person.  [But  see 
IIenost.,  p.  112,  and  comp.  Ilab.  i.  3,  13.— A.  G.] 
The  cause  of  this  glory  of  Israel  is  found  in  the 
fact  that  God  is  their  King.  As  the  mighty  God 
(El)  He  leads  them  (continuously)  out  of  Egypt. 
Ought  any  one  to  make  the  sinlessness  of  Israel 


CHAP.  XXIII.  25-XXIV.  9. 


135 


the  cause  ?  Hfljl^in  may  express  the  rhythmic 
motion  in  the  alternate  leaps  and  pauses  of  the 
buffalo  in  its  progress.  [It  denotes  rather  the 
stirring,  restless,  unwearied  efforts  with  which 
the  animal  forces  his  way  upwards. — A.  G.]. 

Ver.  23.  Their  progress  will  be  sure  and  con- 
stant, because  they  do  not  waver  here  and  there 


under  the  delusions  of  magic  arts,  but  march  for- 
ward with  confidence,  instructed  by  the  word  of 
God,  which  shall  be  given  them  from  time  to 
time.  They  shall  then  know  what  great  things 
the  mighty  God  will  do  for  them. 

Ver.  24.  The  words  of  Judah's  blessing  (Gen. 
xlix,  9)  transferred  to  the  whole  people. 


G.— THE   THIRD   BLESSING. 
Chap.  XXIII.  25-XXIV.  9. 

25  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Neither  curse  them  at  all,  nor  bless  them  at  all. 

26  But  Balaam  answered  and  said  unto  Balak,  Told  not  I  thee,  saying,  All  that  the 
Lord  speaketh,  that  I  must  do  ? 

27  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Come,  I  pray  thee,  I  will  bring  thee  unto  another 
place  ;  peradventure  it  will  please  God  that  thou  mayest  curse  me  them   from 

28  thence.     And  Balak  brought  Balaam  unto  the  top  of  Peor,  that  looketh  toward 

29  Jeshiraon.     And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here  seven  altars,  and  prepare 

30  me  here  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams.     And  Balak  did  as  Balaam  had  said,  and 
offered  a  bullock  and  a  ram  on  every  altar. 

Chap.  XXIV.  1.  And  when  Balaam  saw  that  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  bless  Israel,  he 
went  not,  as  at  other  times,  to  seek  for  ^enchantments,  but  he  set  his  face  toward 

2  the  wilderness.     And  Balaam  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  he  saw  Israel  abiding  in  his 
tents  according  to  their  tribes  ;  and  the  Spirit  of  God  came  upon  him. 

3  And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said, 

Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  hath  said, 

And  the  man  whose  eyes  are  ^open  hath  said  : 

4  He  hath  said,  which  heard  the  words  of  God, 
Which  saw  the  vision  of  the  Almighty, 
Falling  into  a  trance,  but  having  his  eyes  open  : 

5  How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob ! 
And  thy  tabernacles,  O  Israel ! 

6  As  the  valleys  are  they  spread  forth, 
As  gardens  by  the  river's  side. 

As  the  trees  of  lign-aloes  which  the  Lord  hath  planted, 
And  as  cedar  trees  beside  the  waters. 

7  He  shall  pour  the  water  out  of  his  buckets, 
And  his  seed  shall  he  in  many  waters. 
And  his  king  shall  be  higher  than  Agag, 
And  his  kingdom  shall  be  exalted. 

8  God  brought  him  forth  out  of  Egypt ; 

He  hath  as  it  were  the  strength  of  an  unicorn  : 
He  shall  eat  up  the  nations  his  enemies, 
And  shall  break  their  bones, 
And  pierce  them  through  with  his  arrows. 

9  He  couched,  he  lay  down  as  a  lion, 

And  as  a  great  lion  :  who  shall  stir  him  up? 
Blessed  is  he  that  blesseth  thee, 
And  cursed  is  he  that  curseth  thee. 


136 


NUMBERS 


^  Marg.  To  the  meetittg  of  enchantments. 


Marg.  who  had  his  eyes  shut  but  now  opened. 


TEXTUAL  AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  1.  Heb.  as  time  after  time.— A.  G.]- 

[Ver.  3.  DX3  a  divine  saying  used  ordinarily  with  Jehovah,  found  only  here  and  Prov.  xxx.  1 ;  2  Sam.  xxiii.  1, 
with  the  genitive  of  the  human  bearer  of  the  saying. — A.  G.]. 

[Ver.  3.  Rather  closed  DHt!'  like  DHD  to  close,  the  W  being  later  softened  into  t?  or  D-  See  Hengst.,  pp.  136- 
139,  and  the  authorities  quoted. — A.  G.]. 

[Ver.  4.  Falling  down— having  his  eyes  open,  t.  e.,  the  inward  eye.  The  words  are  diflferent  from  those  in 
ver.  3.— A.  G.]. 

[Ver.  7.  The  dual  form :  "  personifying  the  nation  as  a  man  carrying  two  pails  overflowing  with  water."— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  8.  VTi'.    Those  who  beset  him  round. — A.  G.]. 

:  T 

[Ver.  8.  The  suffix  in  VSH  refers  to  Israel,  and  the  verb  is  without  an  expressed  object.    Hirsch  meets  the 

T     ■ 

difficulty  by  making  the  singular  suffix  refer  to  God,  as  His  arrows,  the  arrows  of  God,  Israel  wound.?.— A.  G.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 

Balak  is  betrayed  into  tiie  greatest  confusion, 
niters  things  which  are  self-contradictory — a 
usual  result  of  such  cunningly-laid  schemes. 
At  first  he  says :  Thou  shalt  neither  curse 
them  nor  bless  them,  L  e.  keep  silence  with 
respect  to  them.  But  immediately  another  su- 
perstitious id -a  occurs  to  him.  He  had  erred 
perhaps  in  only  letting  the  "curser"  see  the 
extreme  limits  of  the  Israelitish  camp.  Possibly 
the  result  might  be  entirely  diiferent  if  he  should 
overlook  the  whole  camp  at  one  time  and  in  one 
view.  Then  perchance  his  alarm  at  the  sight 
of  this  great  swarming  host  would  overwhelm 
him,  and  so  lead  him  to  pronounce  the  curse. 
He  leads  him  therefore  at  once  to  the  top  of 
Mount  Peor.  This  mountain  lay  nearest  the 
camp  of  Israel,  one  of  the  peaks  of  the  Abarim 
range  and  overlooking  the  whole  plain.  It  was 
probably  not  far  from  the  city  Beth-Peor.  [It 
was  north  from  Pisgah,  and  nearly  opposite 
Jericho,  six  Roman  miles  higher  than  Libbias. 
The  locality  is  important  in  connection  with  the 
prophetic  utterances  which  follow.  See  Smith's 
Bib.  Diet.,  Art.  Balaam,  Stanley's  Hist,  of  Jew- 
ish Church,  p.  213-217.  "Behind  him  lay  the 
vast  expanse  of  desert  extending  to  the  shores 
of  his  native  Assyrian  river.  On  his  left  were 
the  red  mountains  of  Edom  and  Seir ;  opposite 
were  the  dwelling-places  of  the  Kenite,  in  the 
rocky  fastnesses  of  Engedi ;  further  still  was 
the  dim  outline  of  the  Arabian  wilderness,  where 
ruleil  the  tlien  powerful  tribe  of  Amalek  ;  imme- 
diately below  him  lay  the  vast  encampment  of 
Israel,  amongst  the  Acacia  groves  of  Abel- 
Shittim — like  the  water-courses  of  the  mountains 
— like  the  hanging  gardens  beside  his  own  river 
Euphrates  with  their  aromatic  shrubs  and  their 
wide-spreading  cedars.  Beyond  them,  on  the 
western  side  of  .Jordan,  rose  the  hills  of  Pales- 
tine, with  glimpses  through  their  valleys  of 
ancient  cities  towering  on  their  crested  heights. 
And  beyond  all,  though  he  could  not  see  it  with 
his  bodily  vision,  he  knew  well  that  there  rolled 
the  deep  waters  of  the  great  sea,  with  the  Isles 
of  Greece,  the  Isle  of  Chittim— a  world  of  which 
the  first  beginnings  of  life  were  just  stirring,  of 
whicb  the  very  name  here  first  breaks  upon  our 


ears." — A.  G.]  The  same  costly  sacrifice  must 
be  oflFered  again.  It  could  only  have  been  in  an 
ironical  temper  that  Balaam,  after  his  previous 
utterances,  could  start  upon  this  new  attempt  or 
make  these  requisitions  for  it. 

He  knows  now  definitely  the  will  of  Jehovah, 
and  does  not  go  as  before  to  meet  or  seek  augu- 
ries, but  turns  his  back  directly  towards  the 
wilderness,  and  surveys  the  whole  people  of 
Israel  encamped  there.  Then  the  Spirit  of 
God  came  upon  him  in  a  new  and  higher 
way.  The  words  are  no  longer  put  into  his 
mouth,  and  uttered  under  constraint  and  legal 
fear  ;  he  speaks  out  now  in  his  ecstatic  condition 
winged  words,  although  we  cannot  say  that  they 
came  from  the  heart.  ["  He  no  longer  attempted 
by  any  magic  art  to  control  the  purpose  of  God, 
but  became  the  organ  which  God  used  in  the 
communication  of  His  will.  He  spake  now  in 
the  spirit  of  prophecy."  Hiesch.  "It  was  not 
the  mere  sight  of  the  ordered  camp  which  formed 
the  subjective  preparation  for  receiving  the 
Spirit  of  God,  but  the  sight  in  connection  with 
the  previous  living  conviction  that  Israel  was 
the  blessed  people  of  God."  Hengstenbekg. — 
A.  G.]  . 

Vers.  3,  4.  He  begins  with  a  description  of  his 
new  higher  and  more  exalted  state.  From  his 
very  opening  words  Balaam  himself  is  conscious 
for  the  time  of  prophetic  powers.  From  Balaam 
the  son  of  Beor  he  has  become  the  man  Tvho 
has  his  inward  prophetic  eyes  opened,  since 
he  has  passed  now  into  prophetic  ecstacy.  He 
first  heard  the  words  of  (the  mighty)  God — 
as  hearing  usually  precedes  vision  in  the  mira- 
culous revelation — and  then  sa'W  the  vision 
(face)  of  the  Almighty,  but  was  so  overpow- 
ered that  he  fell  down  (as  Saul,  1  Sam.  xix.  24; 
Daniel,  Dan.  x.  9 ;  the  Seer  in  the  Apocalypse, 
Rev.  i.;  and  as  generally  the  prophets  were  pros- 
trated in  their  calling) ;  but  with  the  fall,  his  spi- 
ritual eyes  were  unveiled,  so  that  he  can  now 
make  known  the  divine  sayings.  [Keil:  "He 
calls  his  prediction  a  divine  saying,  a  DW,  for 
the  purpose  of  designating  it  as  a  divine  reve- 
lation received  from  the  Spirit  of  God."  The 
falling  to  the  ground  was  not  necessarily  or  even 
generally  an  attendant  upon  the  prophetic  state 
and  calling.     There  seems  to  be  an  intimation  in 


CHAP.  XXIII.  25— XXIV.  9. 


137 


the  phrase,  is  Saul  also  among  the  prophets? 

that  this  condition  was  common.  But  that  is  a 
Blight  basis  upon  which  to  build  a  theory  of  the 
prophetic  stale.  It  is  only  in  cases  like  Balaam 
and  Saul,  when  the  Spirit  finds  an  alien  condi- 
tion of  will  and  heart,  that  His  coming  is  at- 
tended by  these  marks  of  violence,  as  if  they 
were  overcome  and  thrown  down  by  a  hostile 
power.  As  Hengstenberq  well  says,  we  are  not 
justified  in  inferring  from  these  cases  that  this 
was  the  condition  with  all  the  prophets.  We 
could  scarcely  conceive  it  to  have  occurred  with 
Samuel,  as  with  Saul.  To  those  whose  ordinary 
states  are  pervaded  by  the  Spirit  He  comes  as  to 
His  own.  The  falling  with  David,  Ezekiel,  John, 
are  not  parallel;  for  in  their  case  it  was  the 
splendor  and  glory  of  the  manifestation  which 
led  them  to  prostrate  themselves  in  reverence 
and  fear.  Whose  eyes  are  open,  not  with 
the  margin:  who  had  his  eyes  shut,  but  now 
open,  referring  in  both  cases  to  his  inward  eye, 
but  with  most  modern  commentators,  as  now  shut 
or  closed.  It  is  descriptive  of  his  present  ecsta- 
tic state.  His  bodily  eyes  and  senses  are  closed 
to  the  external  world,  while  his  inner  eye  is 
open  to  the  visions  which  the  Spirit  gave.  The 
contrast  between  the  third  and  fourth  verses  in 
the  original  favors  this  interpreiation.  It  does 
not  follow,  however,  that  every  prophet  in  his 
prophetic  condition,  had  his  bodily  eyes  closed, 
or  the  senses,  as  it  were,  suspended,  ''so  far  as 
self-conscious  reflection  is  concerned."  With 
men  like  Balaam,  whose  inner  eye  was  darkened 
by  lusts  and  passions,  it  seems  necessary;  but 
with  those  who  were  spiritually-minded,  who 
were  not  sunken  in  the  world  of  the  senses  and  of 
self,  it  was  not  necessary,  and  probably  did  not 
occur. — A.  G.]  But  here  again  the  blessing  is 
richei  in  its  pathetic  form  than  in  i^s  contents. 
The  figures  used  are  massed,  and  sometimes  ob- 
scure. We  meet  again  not  only  the  image  of  the 
swift-rushing  bufi"alo,  but  of  the  lion  in  a  modi- 
fied form.  He  describes  the  goodly  and  splendid 
appearance  of  the  tent-city,  which  may  be  re- 
garded as  an  unconscious  type  of  the  theocracy 
or  the  church  (vers.  5  and  6).  In  the  next 
place  he  describes  the  glorious  development 
of  this  people  (ver.  7).  Then  thirdly  he  cele- 
brates its  power — and  indeed  its  destructive 
power  over  the  heathen  (vers.  8, 9).  Only  a  faint 
glimmer  of  hope  for  the  nations  shines  through 
the  closing  words:  Blessed  is  he  that  bless- 
eth  thee,  and  cursed  is  he  that  curseth 
thee. 

Ver.  5.  How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  etc. — 
The  word  is  typically  significant,  not  only  in  re- 
ference to  the  theocracy,  but  to  the  Christian 
Church.  [It  is  Israel- which  comes  before  his 
mental  vision — "the  people  in  its  higher  nature, 
in  its  i-elation  to  God,"  and  therefore  all  who  are 
Israel,  down  to  the  most  distant  ages. — A.  G.] 

Ver.  6.  From  the  dwellings  to  the  land.  Well- 
watered  valleys  spread  themselves  out  in  beauti- 
ful pictures,  and  to  these  the  still  more  beauti- 
ful gardens  by  the  river  side.  The  conception 
of  the  aloe-groves  breathing  out  their  fragrance, 
and  the  cedar  trees  standing  in  their  strength  by 
the  water  courses,  leads  us  away  from  the  ordi- 
nary beauties  of  nature,  to  a  higher  paradisaic 
nature  and  culture.     As  an  unconscious  typical 


word,  it  foretells  the  Canaan  to  come,  and  the 
wider  and  succeeding  glorification  of  the  earth. 
[Bible  Com.  The  aloe  imported  from  China 
and  the  far  distant  east  furnished  to  the  ancients 
one  of  the  most  fragrant  and  precious  of  spices. 
Comp.  Ps.  xlv.  48.  "All  thy  garments  smell  of 
myrrh,  aloes  and  cassia,"  Ps.  vii.  17.  The  images 
of  the  prophecy  seem  to  have  a  basis  or  ground 
partly  in  the  scene  which  lay  before  his  natural 
eyes  before  the  trance — the  camp  with  its  wide 
surroundings,  and  partly  in  those  with  which  he 
was  familiar  along  the  banks  of  his  own  Euphra- 
tes.— A.  G.] 

Ver.  7.  The  people  are  presented  under  the 
image  of  a  water  carrier,  whose  two  buckets  (the 
dual  form)  which  he  carries,  are  overflowing 
with  water.  [He  shall  pour  the  water. — 
He  shall  not  only  prosper,  have  abundance  of 
water,  as  water  was  so  essential  to  all  fertility, 
but  he  shall  pour  from  his  overflowing  buckets, 
he  shall  distribute  to  others  out  of  his  fullness 
of  blessings.  In  thee  shall  all  families  of  the 
earth  be  blessed,  Gen.  xii.  3. — A.  G.]  His 
seed,  ?'.  €.,  his  progeny  (not  his  sowing  corn,  as 
Cttxsen),  shall  be  in  many  waters,  i.e.,  shall 
spreiid  itself  abroad,  be  cheered  with  great  and 
varied  blessing.  His  king  shall  be  higher 
than  Agag,  i.  e.,  the  kings  of  his  ancient  ene- 
mies, the  Amalekites,  who  were  called  Agag  (the 
fiery).  [Agag  seems  to  have  been  the  common 
uarj>e  of  the  kings  of  the  Amalekites,  as  Pharaoh 
of  the  kings  of  Egypt,  and  Abimelech  of  the 
kings  of  the  Philistines.  And  Hengstenberq 
has  shown  clearly,  from  the  immediate  context, 
in  which  Balaam  speaks  only  in  general  terms 
of  the  good  which  should  come  to  Israel,  and 
from  the  relation  which  this  third  saying  has  to 
those  which  precede  it,  and  that  which  follows, 
forming  as  it  were  a  middle  member  in  the  whole 
prophetic  utterance,  a  transition  from  the  gene- 
ral and  ideal,  to  the  particular  or  individual,  that 
we  cannot  suppose  a  reference  to  any  individual 
king  as  the  Agag  overthrown  by  Saul,  1  Sam. 
XV.  8.  It  is  only  in  the  fourth  saying,  and  even 
then  in  a  general  way,  that  he  passes  on  to  an 
individual  application  of  the  predictions  to  par- 
ticular hostile  nations.  This  is  still  further  con- 
firmed by  the  fact  that  his  king  is  not  any  par- 
ticular king,  as  Saul  or  David,  nor  even  the 
Messiah  exclusively,  but  his  king  generally,  i.e., 
the  king  whom  Israel  should  receive.  His  king 
liere  is  equivalent  to  the  kingdom  which 
should  be  exalted — in  and  through  which 
the  power  of  Israel  should  be  fully  developed 
and  established  over  all  enemies.  There  is  too 
an  historical  reason  why  the  Amalekite  kingdom 
should  appear  here  as  the  representative  of  the 
enmity  of  the  world  to  the  kingdom  of  God  (see 
Ex.  xvii.  8).  And  they  were  still  probably  among 
the  most  mighty  of  Israel's  foes,  which  was  not 
the  case  at  the  time  of  Saul.  There  is  no  valid 
ground  therefore  for  the  supposition  that  this 
passage  indicates  a  later  origin  of  the  book  of 
Numbers.  On  the  contrary,  it  may  be  fairly 
urged  as  showing  how  deeply  the  idea  of  the 
kingdom  lies  imbedded  in  all  conceptions  of  the 
people  of  God  as  a  power  in  the  world,  as  show- 
ing that  it  is  not  an  idea  of  late  growth,  but  one 
with  which  the  people  of  God,  and  even  Balaam 
was  familiar. — A.  G.]     His  kingdom  shall  bo 


138 


NUMBERS. 


exalted,  i.  e.,  raise  itself  by  its  activity,  vigor 
and  growth.  In  the  words  his  king  he  indi- 
cates the  establishment  of  a  royal  dynasty  in  Is- 
rael, but  that  the  kings  of  the  Amalekites  (and  not 
EJom,  Assyria,  Babylon)  are  ci)osen  as  the  type 
of  heathen  enmity  proves  the  antiquity  of  the 
narrative.  The  singular  greatness  of  the  people 
corresponds  to  the  singular  greatness  of  the  king. 
There  is  no  verbal  and  conscious  prophecy  of  the 
Messiah  here  (Keil:  "The  king  was  neither  the 
M'ssiah  exclusively,  nor  the  earthly  kingdom 
without  the  Messiah");  for  with  the  conception 
of  the  ideal  Messiah,  which  unfolds  itself  later, 
out  of  the  natm-al  and  generic  Messiah,  the  con- 
ception of  salvation  as  extending  to  all  assumes 
a  definite  form.  The  words,  however,  in  a  typi- 
cal sense  have  an  unmistakable  significance: 
the  great  people  of  God  with  its  great  king  over- 
coming and  towering  above  all  heathen  king- 
doms and  kings.  [Hengstenberg:  "  For  as  Is- 
rael only  attains  the  complete  realization  of  its 
idea  in  the  erection  of  the  kingdom,  so  the  king- 
dom reaches  completely  its  destination  only,  with 
the  appearance  of  the  Messiah.  In  Him  first  the 
king  of  Israel  is  truly  higher  than  Agag,  the 
representative  of  the  hostile  world-power." — 
A.  G.] 

Ver.  8.  The  repeated  reference  to  Egypt  and 
the  Exodus  appears  to  be  designed  to  bring  out 
more  vividly  the  contrast  between  this  poor  race 
of  liberated  slaves,  and  its  destruction  of  the 
heathen  nations  as  its  enemies.  We  explain  the 
latter  and  difficult  clauses  thus:  he  will  crush 
(not  gnaw)  the  bones  of  his  enemies,  and  then 
break  his  own  arrows,  because  the  instruments 
of  warfare  have  become  useless.  (See  Isaiah  ii. 
4.)  It  is  a  strange  order  surely  to  say  that  he 
will  first  gnaw  the  bones  of  his  enemies,  and 
then  pierce  them  with  his  arrows.  We  would 
rather  account  for  the  change  from  the  plural  to 


the  singular  thus:  as  he  will  crush  the  hostile 
nations,  so  he  will  break  his  (the  enemies')  ar- 
rows. [Keil  renders:  "he  shall  dash  them  in 
pieces  with  his  arrows,"  making  the  enemies  the 
object  of  the  verb.  The  violent  alterations  in 
the  text  suggested  by  J.  D.  Michaelis  and  Kno- 
BEL  are  unnecessary.  The  order  may  be,  from 
the  crushing  defeat  of  Israel's  enemies,  to  the 
instruments  by  which  it  is  secured,  arrows 
standing  for  the  weapons  of  war.  Hirsch  :  "And 
as  the  arrows  of  God,  Israel  wounds,"  i.  e.,  Israel 
is  the  weapon  in  the  hand  of  God  in  His  warfare 
with  His  malignant  foes,  the  enemies  of  the 
dominion  of  His  moral  law  upon  the  earth,  and 
it  is  only  as  the  arrow  of  God  that  Israel  has 
victorious  power  over  the  nations." — A.  G.] 

The  figure  of  the  lion  has  a  deeper  significance 
than  in  xxiii.  22.  There  the  lion  goes  in  search 
of  his  prey ;  he  has  not  yet  lain  down  ;  here  he 
appears  as  a  triumphant  lion,  who  has  lain  down 
in  his  majesty,  and  will  injure  no  more.  As  to 
the  typical  meaning  underlying  this  prediction 
of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  conquering  and  destroy- 
ing all  heathen  power,  see  Pss.  ii.  and  ex.;  Isa. 
ix.  and  xi.;  Dan.  ii.  34,  85. 

Ver.  9.  Comp.  Gen.  xii.  3;  xxvii.  29;  xlix.  9; 
Matt.  X.  40-42. 

The  last  words  must  lead  to  a  rupture  between 
Balak  and  Balaam,  for  their  application  to 
themselves,  and  their  opposite  purposes,  was 
apparent.  Balaam  as  the  blesser  felt  himself 
blessed;  and  since  Balak  still  wished  to  curse 
Israel,  he  was  pursued  already  by  the  curse. 
[The  future  history  will  scarcely  justify  the  sup- 
position that  Balaam  felt  himself  blessed.  He 
was  conscious  that  he  did  not  bless  with  the 
heart ;  it  was  not  a  blessing  he  desired  which  he 
utters,  and  hence  he  could  not  feel  that  he  him- 
self was  heir  to  the  blessing. — A,  G.] 


H.-THE    LAST    SAYING. 


Chap.  XXIV.  10-25. 

10      And  Balak's  anger  was  kindled  against  Balaam,  and  he  smote  his  hands  toge- 
ther :  and  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  I  called  thee  to  curse  mine  enemies,  and,  be- 
ll hold,  thou  hast  altogether  blessed  them  these  three  times.     Therefore  now  flee  thou 
to  thy  place :  I  thought  to  promote  thee  unto  great  honour;  but,  lo,  the  Lord  hath 

12  kept  thee  back  from  honour.     And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Spake  I  not  also  to 

13  thy  messengers  which  thou  sentest  unto  me,  saying.  If  Balak  would  give  me  his 
house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond  the  commandment  of  the  Lord, 
to  do  either  good  or  bad  of  mine  own  mind ;  but  what  the  Lord  saith,  that  will  I 

14  speak?     And  now,  behold,  I  go  unto  my  people:  come  therefore,  and  I  will  adver- 

15  tise  thee  what  this  people  shall  do  to  thy  people  in  the  latter  days.  And  he  took 
up  his  parable  and  said, 

Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  hath  said, 

And  the  man  whose  eyes  are  open  hath  said : 


CHAP.  XXIV.  10-25. 


139 


16  He  liath  said,  whicli  heard  the  words  of  God, 
And  knew  the  knowledge  of  the  Most  High, 
Which  saw  the  vision  of  the  Almighty, 
Falling  into  a  trance,  but  having  his  eyes  open ; 

17  I  shall  see  him — but  not  now  : 

I  shall  behold  him — but  not  nigh : 
There  shall  come  a  Star  out  of  Jacob, 
And  a  Sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel, 
And  shall  smite  the  corners  of  Moab,^ 
And  destroy  all  the  children  of  Sheth. 

18  And  Edom  shall  be  a  possession, 

Seir  also  shall  be  a  possession  for  his  enemies ; 
And  Israel  shall  do  valiantly. 

19  Out  of  Jacob  shall  come  he  that  shall  have  dominion, 
And  shall  destroy  him  that  remaineth  of  the  city. 

20  And  when  he  looked  on  Amalek,  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said, 

Amalek  was  the  first  of  the  nations  ;* 

But  his  latter  end  shall  be^  that  he  perish  for  ever. 

21  And  he  looked  on  the  Kenites,  and  took  up  his  parable  and  said, 

Strong  is  thy  dwelling  place, 

And  thou  puttest  thy  nest  in  a  rock. 

22  Nevertheless  the  Kenite'*  shall  be  wasted. 
Until  Asshur  shall  carry  thee  away  captive. 

23  And  he  took  up  his  parable  and  said, 

♦  Alas !  who  shall  live 

When  God  doeth  this ! 

24  And  ships  shall  come  from  the  coast  of  Chittim, 
And  shall  afflict  Asshur,  and  shall  afflict  Eber, 
And  he  also  shall  perish  for  ever. 

25  And  Balaam  rose  up,  and  went  and  returned  to  his  place :  and  Balak  also  went 
his  way. 


1  Marg.  or  smite  through  the  princes  of  Moab. 
3  Marg.  shall  be  even  to  destruction. 


s  Marg.  The  first  of  the  nations  that  warred  against  Israel. 
*  Heh.  Kain. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GPwAMMATICAL. 
[Ver.  14.  Heb.  n^JT'K.    I  will  give  thee  counsel  or  advice.    It  is  not  used  for  a  simple  announcement.— A.  G.] 
rVer.  14.  Better  at^he  end  of  days,  since  that  ia  the  usual  eignifieance  of  the  word  rmn«.-A.  G.] 
[Ver.  17.  The  text  is  better  than  the  margin  here.    "'nXS,  the  two  corners  or  sides  of  Moab,  from  side  to  side. 

—A.  G.] 

[Ver.  17.  Children  of  Sheth,  rather  the  sons  of  tumult  or  confusion.     See  Jer.  xlvin.  45 ;  Amos  ii.  2.    So  most 

modern  interpreters. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  18.  Increase  in  power  and  wealth. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  22.  The  particles  DX  '3-  and  HO-n;;  may  be  better  rendered  here  with  Ewald  and  Knobel  only  then 
—when;  orwithKEiL,  Bible  Com.:  For  surely  is  it  that  (giving  the  QX  a  strong  negative  force)  Kain  shall  be 
for  destruction.    He  shall  not  be  until,  etc.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  23.  Sets,  establishes  him.  1Dt?n,  since,  or  from  his  establishing.  The  suffix  may  refer  to  the  general 
destruction  which  follows,  or  to  the  power  by  which  it  is  wrought.— A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL    AXD   CRITICAL. 

In  his  indignation  Balak  changes  his  courtly 
conduct  towards  Balaam.  He  does  not  indeed 
go  further  than  a  threatening  movement  of  his 
hands.     [The  clapping   of  the   hands   together 


was  not,  however,  designed  to  terrify  Balaam. 
It  was  simply  an  expression  of  the  disappoint- 
ment and  passion  of  the  king. — A.  G.]  Still  he  de- 
scribes the  calling  of  Balaam  as  a  royal  command 
which  he  had  thrice  disregarded.  But  now  he 
commands  him  to  flee.  He  drives  him  away 
and  with  scorn.     He  had   thought  to   pro- 


140 


NUMBERS. 


mote  him  to  honor;  but  Jehovah  {i.  e.  Ba- 
laam's belief  iu  Jehovah)  has  withheld  him 
from  this  distinction.  But  his  anger  seems  to 
have  kindled  also  the  anger  of  the  proud  seer. 
He  reminds  Balak  of  his  declaration  at  the  very 
outset  that  he  was  dependent  upon  Jehovah 
(chap.  xxii.  18).  The  breach  between  them  is 
indic'Hed  in  the  expression  :  Since  I  am  going 
hence  to  my  people,  come  therefore  I 
w^ill  teach  you  w^hat  this  people  vyill  do 
to  thy  people  at  the  end  of  days.  [Kurtz: 
"•  The  end  of  days'  denotes  the  horizon  of  a 
prophetic  uttterance.  It  begins  when  the  pro- 
phecy enters  upon  its  actual  fulfilment.  For 
Jacob,  whose  hope  and  desire  were  limited 
largely  to  the  dwelling  of  his  descendants  in  the 
land  of  promise,  the  end  began  at  the  time  of 
Joshua;  but  for  Moses  and  Balaam,  who  saw 
that  this  possession  of  the  promised  land  did 
not  give  perfect  rest,  'the  end  of  days'  could 
only  be  when  the  strifes  and  hindrances  should 
be  removed,  the  enemies  overcome.  The  end  to 
them  began  with  the  line  of  David.  The  pro- 
phecy then  received  its  preliminary  and  partial 
fulfilment.  But  that  fulfilment  was  only  rela- 
tively perfect,  since  the  entire  opposing  powers 
to  the  people  of  God  were  not  yet  destroyed. 
There  remained  yet  a  future  and  wider  fulfil- 
ment. 'The  end  of  days'  was  not  yet  com- 
plete."—A.  G  "I 

Ver.  15.  It  is  scarcely  correct  to  say  that  the 
succeeding  outburst  of  anger  is  to  be  viewed  as 
the  calminating  point  of  his  predictions,  as  per- 
haps we  might  be  inclined  to  do  from  the  striking 
figure  of  the  star  out  of  Jacob.  The  narrator 
lets  him  pour  out  his  saying  without  any  preli- 
minary or  preparatory  announcement.  His 
self-consciousness  comes  out  clearly  in  the  de- 
scription he  gives  of  himself.  He  is  here  as 
one  having   the  knoTw^ledge   of  the    Most 

High  (|i"'7J:^.,  in  which  respect  he  may  be  re- 
garded as  belonging  to  the  primitive  religion  of 
Melchizedec.  But  as  a  worshipper  of  jVSj^  Sx 
he  passes  into  the  ranks  of  those  who  woVsliip 
El-Shaddai  and  receives  the  vision  which  the 
Almighty  discloses  to  him,  with  his  eyes 
open  and  falling  to  the  ground.  The  fun- 
damental thought  in  his  saying  is  now  almost 
exclusively,  the  King  who  shall  come  forth  out 
of  Israel.  We  must  distinguish  here  also  be- 
tween the  conscious  purpose  of  the  seer,  and  the 
typical  significance  of  his  words,  which  grows 
out  of  the  fact  that  he  has  a  vision  of  the  glory 
of  Israel,  and  that  the  glory  of  Israel  is  in  reality 
a  type  of  the  Messianic  kingdom.  I  shall  see 
him,  but  not  now.  What  could  tliis  mean  in 
the  conscious  thought  of  the  man  who  was  just 
about  to  pass  by  the  tents  of  Israel  on  his  way 
homeward?  The  thought:  I  see  him  now,  but 
not  as  a  man  of  the  present,  is  not  definitely 
and  clearly  expressed.  It  might  be  rendered  : 
I  shall  see  him  ;  but  He  is  not  here.  I  shall 
look  for  him,  but  not  nigh  (not  as  one  near 
at  hand).  The  typical  significance  of  the  words 
extends  to  the  time  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  and 
still  further  to  the  time  of  its  ideal  king.  The 
declaration  which  follows:  there  shall  come 
a  star  out  of  Jacob,  is  explained  more  fully 


by  the  sceptre  of  Israel,  vphich  should  first 
smite  Moab  on  every  side,  as  he  had  already- 
been  smitten  on  the  side  of  Heshbon.  It  is  not 
in  this  way  that  the  ideal  Messiah  would  be 
announced.  We  call  to  mind  also  that  it  is  not 
the  purpose  of  the  writer  to  include  Balaam 
among  the  Messianic  prophets ;  still  less  here 
when  he  burns  with  anger  against  Balak.  That 
this  prediction,  as  all  that  follows  it  here,  must 
be  fulfilled,  is  the  result  of  the  idea,  that  Israel 
is  the  people  of  Jehovah.  And  they  were  ful- 
filled. After  Moab  follow  the  sons  of  Sheth,  not 
of  Seth,  nor  of  'the  drinker,'  to  wit,  Lot,  but  of 
those  rising  up  tumuUuously  against  the  domi- 
nant people  of  God  (see  Ps.  ii.).  Then  follows 
Edom  first  as  to  its  people,  then  as  to  its  laud 
(Seir).  By  it  as  a  possession  will  Israel  grow 
strong.  We  translate  the  additional  clause: 
One  shall  descend  out  of  Jacob,  and  shall  destroy 
all  the  fugitives  out  of  the  city,  i.  e.  the  captured 
cities. 

The  prophecy  closes  with  single  sentences 
foretelling  the  general  destruction  of  all  heathen 
powers.  The  first  of  the  hostile  heathen  nations 
is  Amalek;  but  his  latter  end  shall  be:  to  de- 
struction. [First:  Not  as  pre-eminent  among 
the  hostile  nations  in  position  and  power,  nor 
as  the  most  ancient  of  these  nations,  but  as  the 
first  who  had  entered  into  conflict  with  Israel, 
and  had  resisted  successfully  their  entrance 
into  the  promised  land,  Ex.  xvii.  8  and  Num. 
xiv.  45.  The  conflict  began  with  Amalek.  They 
were  to  experience  early  its  necessary  issue  ia 
subjection. — A.  G.] 

The  second  utterance  brings  to  view  a  nev? 
feature,  viz.  that  one  nation  perishes  by  the 
hand  of  another;  the  Kenites  by  Asshur.  In 
the  interpretation  of  the  following  obscure  sen- 
tences, we  agree  with  Keil  :  enduring  is  thy 
dwelling-place,  and  laid  (past  pnrdciple) 
upon  the  rock  thy  nest.  For  is  it  that 
Kain  shall  fall  into  destruction  until,  i.  e. 
Kain  shall  not  be  destroyed  until  [see  Text. 
Note. — A.  G.].  The  Sept.  gives  the  remarkable 
interpretation  which  seems  to  imply  that  Balaam 
alludes  to  the  destruction  which  he  himself 
brought  upon  the  Midianites.  Knobel  appears 
to  have  been  guided  by  the  passage  in  Judg.  iv. 
14,  17.  "A  part  of  the  Kenites  had  separated 
themselves  from  their  tribe  in  the  south,  and 
had  settled  in  Kadesh  in  Naphtali,  and  were 
doubtless  carried  away  captive  with  others  when 
Tiglath-Pileser  wasted  Galilee  about  740  B.  C. 
2  Kings  XV,  29."  Thus  this  part  of  the  Kenites, 
sons  of  the  blacksmith  (Kain),  dwelt  safely  up 
to  this  time  in  their  rocky  nest  in  the  northern 
mountains  of  Canaan.  [The  Kenites  were  pro- 
bably of  Midianitish  extraction, as  Moses'  father- 
in-law,  who  was  a  priest  of  Midian,  was  a  Ke- 
nite.  Kurtz  holds  that  Balaam  here  refers  to 
the  Midianites,  who  as  enemies  of  Israel  must 
be  involved  in  ruin,  and  who  here  receive  the 
unusual  name  Kenites  from  the  resemblance 
between  Jp,  their  rock-dwellings  or  fastnesses, 

and    '•rp,    the   Kenites.     He  urges  that  as   the 

Midianites  were  even  now  in  covenant  veith 
INIoab  for  the  cursing  and  destruction  of  Israel, 
it  is  perfectly  in  plape  to  regard  them  as  the 
object  of  the  curse  directed  against  the  Kenites; 


CHAPTER  XXIV.  10-25, 


141 


that  it  would  be  remarkable  indeed  if  they  had 
not  been  mentioned  among  the  enemies  of  Israel 
who  must  perish,  and  that  unless  they  are 
alluded  to  here,  they  are  passed  by  entirely. 
But  there  is  no  sufficient  evidence  that  the 
Midianites  were  ever  called  Kenites.  Nor  is  it 
necessary  to  suppose  that  every  enemy  of  Israel 
should  be  specihcally  mentioned;  on  the  con- 
trary those  who  are  named  appear  in  their  rep- 
resentative character.  It  is  very  questionable 
too  whether  this  view  can  be  reconciled  either 
with  the  text,  or  with  the  demands  of  the  his- 
tory. It  seems  on  the  whole  better  with  Keil 
to  regard  the  Kenites  as  the  friends,  and  not  the 
foes  of  Israel,  who  having  laid  their  nest 
upon  a  rock,  i.  e.  joined  the  true  people  of 
GoJ,  and  thus  a  secure  resting-place  aud  refuge, 
were  safe  from  destruction  until  Israel  itself 
should  fall  under  chastisement.  Keil  adds  : 
"  There  is  no  prediction  here  of  the  captivity  of 
Israel,  because  that  was  simply  a  transitory 
judgment,  which  served  to  refine  the  nation  of 
God,  and  not  destroy  it,  but  which  became  a 
captivity  of  judgment  to  the  Kenites,  because 
they  were  not  really  in  fellowship  with  Israel, 
though  outwardly  associated  with  them."  The 
outward  association  secured  a  strong  dwelling- 
place,  safety  for  a  time.  For  should  Kaiu 
be  destroyed,  until,  /.  e.  Kain  or  Keuite  shall 
not  perish  until  Asshur  shall  carry  thee 
captive.  See  Num.  x.  32 ;  Deut.  xxxv.  19. — 
A.  G.] 

In  the  next  saying  Balaam  appears  to  have 
seen  more  tlian  he  may  announce  to  Balak. 
Alas,  who  shall  live  when  God  appointeth 
him  (Assliur  to  do  this).  In  his  present  state 
and  disposition,  he  bewails  the  future  of  Israel 
(Knobel,  p.  147).  Still  he  comforts  himself 
with  the  thought  that  God  appoints  Asshur  to 
execute  His  judicial  sentence  (Isa.  x.  5).  From 
Mesopotamia,  Balaam  might  well  know  Asshur"s 
martial  strength  and  lust  of  conquest.  Keil 
regards  the  lamentation  as  introductory  to  the 
prophecy  concerning  Asshur.  Balaam  bewails 
the  sons  of  his  people.  [He  renders  also  with 
our  version:   who   sets,  doeth  this,   making 

the  suffix  in  lOp'O  neuter  and  referring  to  the 

substance  of  the  following  prophecy,  and  not  to 
Asshur.  What  pained  the  heart  of  the  seer 
was  not  merely  that  Israel  and  the  associated 
Kenites  should  be  carried  captive,  which  seemed 
to  "involve  the  ruin  of  all  peace  and  safety  upon 
earth,"  but  that  the  judgment  should  fall  upon 
Asshur,  upon  his  own  people. — A.  G.] 

Ver.  23.  A  new  saj'ing  truly  begins  here. 
But  it  does  not  follow  that  the  saying  must  refer 
to  Asshur,  since  the  judgment  upon  Asshur 
opens  with  a  disjunctive  particle  in  ver.  24. 
Why  should  not  his  woe  apply  to  the  unuttered 
future  lot  of  Israel  which  appeared  to  be  so 
directly  in  conflict  with  his  previous  blessing? 
Let  it  be  noticed  also,  that  the  judgment  upon 
the  naval  power  from  Chittim  is  not  introduced 
with  a  new  parable.  At  last  the  universal  ruin 
of  the  nations  appears  in  the  vision.  Hostile 
ships  come  from  Chittim.  "  Ci^^  is  Cyprus 
with  its  capital  Citium  (Gen.  x.  4)  mentioned  as 
intervening  between  Greece  and  Phoenicia,  and 
the  chief  station  for  the  maritime  commerce  of 


Phoenicia,  so  that  all  the  fleets  passing  from  the 
west  to  the  east  necessarily  took  Cyprus  in  their 
way."  Keil.  These  ships  afflict  Asshur  and 
afflict  (cast  them  to  the  ground)  Eber.  A  mere 
vague  glimpse  of  a  great  western  empire,  which 
overthrows  the  oriental  power,  limits  his  pro- 
phetic horizon,  and  his  vision  of  judgment  closes 
with  this,  that  he  sees  even  the  shadowy  and 
unknown  one,  the  prince  of  the  ships  from 
Chittim  going  down  unto  destruction.  And 
he  shall  perish  forever.  "  These  words  can- 
not refer  to  Eber  and  Asshur,  for  their  fate  is 
already  announced  in  the  word  afflict  or  press, 
but  only  to  the  new  western  power  which  was 
to  come  over  the  sea."  Keil.  But  when  Keil 
says  Eber  "neither  refers  to  the  Israelites 
merely  as  Hebrews  (Sept.  and  Vulg.),  nor  to 
the  races  beyond  the  Euphrates  (Onkelos  and 
others),  but  like  'all  the  sons  of  Eber'  (Gen. 
X.  21),  to  all  the  posterity  of  Abraham,  who 
descended  from  Eber  through  Peleg,  and  also 
to  the  descendants  of  Eber  through  Joktan," 
his  exposition  lies  aside  from  the  actual  and 
peculiar  thought  of  Balaam.  The  strange  vision 
meets  him  again,  so  in  conflict  with  the  whole 
scope  of  his  prophecy,  that  with  the  posterity 
of  Eber,  not  only  the  descendants  of  Abraham 
generally,  but  Israel  itself  should  be  visited 
with  judgment;  but  he  prefers  to  say  Eber 
rather  than  Israel.  And  since  he  combines 
Eber  with  his  native  race  Asshur,  he  chooses 
for  them  the  mildest  term.  They  shall  be 
bow^ed,  humbled;  while  of  the  unknown  one, 
under  whose  power  they  shall  be  bowed,  he  says 
with  apparent  delight:  he  also  shall  perish 
forever.  The  shadowy  nature  of  these  last 
visions  of  judgment  is  a  strong  proof  of  the  great 
antiquity  of  this  prophecy.  The  look  into  the 
far  distant  future  stretches  beyond  the  Babylo- 
nian and  Persian  histories,  and  rests  upon  a 
faint  vision  of  the  Macedonian  empire,  behind 
which  the  Roman  power  lay  hidden,  or  with 
which  it  was  included.  Punitive  judgments 
and  universal  ruin  form  the  last  words  of  the 
heathen  prophet ;  a  picture  unrelieved  by  any 
light  background,  more  terrible  even  than  the 
Scandinavian  "twilight  of  the  gods."  Thus 
Balaam  takes  his  departure  from  Balak,  not 
only  in  anger,  but  in  a  kind  of  despair ;  the 
Spirit  of  God  appears  to  have  revealed  nothing 
more  encouraging,  and  in  this  state  he  may 
easily  have  offered  himself  to  Moses,  as  Simon 
Magus  to  Peter.  At  all  events  this  excessive 
spirit  of  judging  and  cursing  is  that  very  ex- 
treme which,  according  to  ancient  and  modern 
experience,  passes  over  into  the  region  of  impure 
and  idolatrous  fanaticism.  For  special  treatises 
upon  the  narrative,  see  Tholuck,  Hofmann, 
Keil  [also  Hengstenbekg  and  Kurtz. — A.  G.] 
Above  all  things,  we  must  guard  against  inclu- 
ding Balaam  in  the  class  of  the  Messianic  pro- 
phets, and  the  typical  significance  of  his  words 
must  not  be  confounded  with  conscious  pro- 
phecies. 

[The  question  here,  however,  is  not  whether 
Balaam  was  conscious  of  the  real  import  of  his 
words.  He  was  speaking  under  the  influence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Lanqe's  view  that  he 
spake  in  anger,  because  reproached  by  Balak, 
has    not    sufficient    ground,    at    least    not     in 


142 


NUMBERS. 


the  sense  and  importance  he  gives  it.  How 
far  in  his  condition  he  may  have  been  subject 
to  ordinary  frames  and  passions,  we  cannot 
determine. 

Whatever  may  have  been  true,  these  frames 
and  passions  were  under  the  control  of  the  Spirit 
who  came  upon  him. — Neither  is  it  possible 
to  determine  how  far  he  may  have  been  conscious 
of  what  his  words  meant.  We  are  to  deal  with 
the  words,  not  his  inward  consciousness  or  pas- 
sions. The  thing  of  moment  is  what  his  words 
really  mean.  Are  they  explained,  or  fairly  ex- 
plainable on  any  other  supposition  than  that 
they  are  Messianic  ?  Do  they  find  their  com- 
plete fulfilment  in  the  immediate  future,  or  at 
the  time  of  David,  or  in  Christ  and  His  king- 
dom ?  It  is  not  necessary  to  determine,  further, 
whether  on  the  supposition  that  the  prophecy  is 
Messianic,  we  are  to  regard  it  as  pointing  to 
Christ  only  as  the  ideal  King,  and  under  whom 
the  ideal  kingdom  would  «ome  to  completion,  all 
its  enemies  be  subdued  and  destroyed,  as  Heno- 
STENBKRQ,  or  with  KuRTZ,  that  Christ  is  referred 
to  as  the  personal,  concrete,  real  King — the  Mes- 
siah Himself.  Both  views  are  consistent  with 
the  full  Messianic  interpretation  of  the  prophecy 
while  the  latter  seems  on  the  whole  prefer- 
able. It  is  here  at  the  close  of  the  prophecy 
that  we  may  best  consider  what  is  its  real  cha- 
racter. If  the  words  he  shall  perish  forever 
refer  as  the  tenor  of  the  prophecy  implies  and 
the  later  history  demands,  to  the  western  power 
which  the  prophet  saw  in  the  dim  distance 
coming  over  the  sea — to  the  Macedonian  and  Ro- 
man empire — then  we  have,  as  Kurtz  well  says, 
"a  real  prophecy  of  that  which  no  human  wit, 
no  powers  of  penetration,  ei'her  in  the  time  of 
Moses  or  David,  or  even  Malachi,  could  have 
foreseen."*  The  overthrow  of  this  last  power 
of  the  world  connects  this  prophecy  with  those 
of  Daniel,  who  fakes  up  and  describes  more  ac- 
curately these  world  powers  in  their  nature  and 
progress  and  decay.  If  this  is  so  then  the  end 
of  days  in  which  Balaam's  prophecy  falls, 
within  which  it  all  lies,  must  embrace  the  Mes- 
sianic period,  or  at  least  the  period  of  the  king- 
dom, from  its  beginning  through  all  its  stages 
of  progress,  until  its  completion  in  the  kingdom 
of  God,  and  the  destruction  of  all  its  foes,  when 
in  the  widest  sense  of  the  words  Even  he  shall 
perish  forever.  But  if  the  end  of  days  de- 
notes the  whole  period  of  the  kingdom,  then  the 
prophecy  whose  very  core  and  substance  is  in 
the  words,  there  shall  come  a  star  out  of 
Jacob,  and  a  sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Is- 
rael, and  shall  smite  all  the  corners  of 
Moab,  and  destroy  all  the  children  of 
Sheth,  or  tumult,  finds  its  preliminary  fulfiU- 

*  [The  effort  of  the  rationalistic  critics  to  find  a  basis 
for  this  prophecy  in  .«ome  transient  hinriing  of  a  few 
Greeks  upon  the  coasts  of  Westera  Asia,  who  after  in- 
flicting some  real  damage  were  compelled  to  retreat; 
whose  expedition  scarcely  left  a  trace  or  tradition  be- 
hind it,  is  80  absurd  aa  not  to  require  any  refutation. 
The  attempt  to  make  this  brief  and  comparatively  harm- 
less irruption  an  explanation  of  this  prophecy  of  the  wide 
and  permanent  ruin  wrought  hy  some  western  power, 
shows  to  what  extremities  they  are  reduced  who  start 
with  the  principle  "  that  prophecy,  strictly  speaking,  is 
impossible,"  and  to  what  shifts  they  will  resort  to  escape 
conclusions  which  any  fair  exegesis  involves,  but  which 
they  rightly  feel  would  be  destructive  to  their  principle. 
—A.  Q.f. 


ment  in  David  in  whom  the  kingdom  was  estab- 
lished, and  by  whose  victories  the  power  of  Moab 
and  Edom  was  broken,  but  its  final  and  complete 
fulfillment  only  in  Christ,  in  whom  the  kingdom 
reaches  perfection,  and  who  destroys  all  the  ene- 
mies of  Israel.  Any  other  interpretation  limits 
the  "  end  of  days,"  so  that  it  no  longer  afi^ords 
scope  for  the  very  terms  and  exigencies  of  the 
later  predictions.  It  would  afford  no  room  for 
the  appearing  and  downfall  of  that  power  which 
the  prophet  sees  coming  from  the  west,  triumph- 
ing over  all  its  foes,  but  whose  end  is  that  "  even 
he  shall  perish  forever."  We  must  either  find 
some  escape  from  the  clear  reference  to  the  Ma- 
cedonian and  Roman  empire,  or  we  must  recog- 
nize both  the  possibility  of  prophetic  predic- 
tions, and  that  this  prophecy  speaks  of  Christ — 
or  at  least  the  Messianic  kingdom.  That  Ba- 
laam's prediction  was  not  exhaustively  fulfilled 
by  the  victories  of  David,  is  clear  not  only  from 
the  history,  in  which  both  Moab  and  Edom  ap- 
pear again  and  again  in  their  hostile  attitude, 
throwing  off  the  yoke  under  which  they  had  been 
brought — a  history  confirmed  by  the  inscriptions 
upon  the  Moabitish  stone — but  from  the  repeated 
and  explicit  references  in  the  prophets  to  those 
powers  centuries  after  the  time  of  David.  See 
Isa.  XV.  and  xvi.  1-5  ;  Amos  ii.  1  ;  Zeph.  ii.  8,  9; 
Isa.  xxxiv.  5  ;  Ezek.  xii. — xiv. ;  Amos  ix.  1*1,  12. 

The  Messianic  view  is  so  obviously  implied  in 
the  terms  of  the  prophecy,  that  it  was  universally 
held  by  the  Jews  from  the  most  ancient  times. 
They  held  indeed  that  it  received  its  preliminary 
fulfillment  in  David,  but  always  regarded  it  as 
pointing  to  the  Messiah.  See  Hengst.  :  Chris- 
tology.  Vol.  I.  p.  105.  So  wide-spread  was  this 
explanation  that  the  renowned  pretender,  or 
Pseudo-messiah  in  tlie  reign  of  Hadrian  styled 
himself  Bar-Cochba  (the  son  of  the  star)  with  a 
clear  reference  to  this  prophecy.  From  the  Jews 
it  passed  into  the  Christian  Church,  and  has  been 
the  prevalent  view  down  to  the  present  day.  It 
is  rejected  of  course  by  the  extreme  rationalists; 
but  the  attempt  to  find  any  adequate  explana- 
tion of  its  terms  in  the  person  and  triumphs  of 
David,  is  so  in  the  face  of  the  facts  of  the  history 
subsequent  to  the  time  of  that  monarch,  that 
those  who  receive  the  history  at  all  are  conscious 
of  failure.  We  must  either  reject  the  whole  his- 
tory, even  that  part  which  the  critics  regard  as 
genuine,  or  admit  that  the  star  out  of  Jacob, 
the  ruler  who  should  smite  through  all  the  oppo- 
sing powers  of  the  world,  is  the  Messiah. 

It  is  no  objection  to  this  view  that  at  the  time 
of  Christ  Moab  and  Edom  had  disappeared  from 
the  history.  For  these  nations  appear  here  as 
the  present  enemies  of  Israel,  but  at  the  same 
time  as  the  representatives  of  all  the  nations 
hostile  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  It  is  not  as  Mo- 
abites  that  they  are  to  be  smitten,  but  as  the 
enemies  of  the  people  of  God.  It  is  not  their 
national  character,  but  their  attitude  and  spirit 
in  relation  to  the  divine  kingdom,  which  calls 
for  judgment.  The  limits  of  their  national  ex- 
istence cannot  therefore  be  the  limit  of  the  pro- 
phecy or  of  its  fulfillment.  So  that  even  if  it 
could  be  maintained  that  Moab  and  Edom  were 
completely  destroyed  by  David,  that  the  applica- 
tion of  the  prophecy  to  those  particular  enemies 
was  thus   final   and   complete,    that    would  not 


CHAP.  XXIV.  10-25. 


143 


change  the  fact  that  Moab  in  the  wider  prophetic 
sense  still  esisteil,  and  would  exist,  until  all  the 
enemies  of  the  kingdom  of  God  were  subdued  or 
destroyed.  The  eternal  principles  and  ideas  of 
prophecy  run  through  infinite  cycles.  Where 
there  are  enemies,  there  are  Moabites,  and  there 
the  predictions  of  Balaam  must  be  fulfilled. 

When  it  is  said  that  we  can  hardly  suppose 
Balaam  to  have  rejoiced  in  such  a  kingdom, 
which  should  in  its  onward  progress  crush  all 
the  powers  which  placed  themselves  in  its  path, 
it  is  enough  to  reply,  that  we  are  not  told  that 
he  did.  We  do  not  know  what  were  his  personal 
feelings  any  more  than  we  know  how  far  he  was 
conscious  of  the  import  of  what  he  said.  He  was 
in  a  prophetic  state.  The  Spirit  of  God  came 
upon  him  ;  he  was  under  the  influence  and  con- 
trol of  that  divine  agent,  and  so  spake  his  pre- 
dictions. It  is  not  probable  that  he  did  rejoice 
in  what  he  saw,  as  we  know  that  he  remained 
in  will  and  heart  opposed  to  Israel.  But  this  in 
no  way  aflfects  the  scope  and  meaning  of  his  pro- 
phecy. 

If  we  compare  Balaam's  prophecy  with  the 
prediction  of  the  dying  Jacob,  ''  that  the  sceptre 
should  not  depart  from  Judah  until  Shiloh  came 
to  whom  the  nations  should  gather,"  we  feel  at 
once  that  they  are  closely  connected,  and  yet 
that  they  are  very  different  both  in  the  definite- 
ness  of  the  predictions,  and  in  the  spirit  they 
breathe.  But  this  difference  is  to  be  accounted 
for  partly  from  the  nature  of  the  Messianic  pro- 
phecy, unfolding  itself  more  and  more  fully  in 
history,  from  the  germ  to  the  full  bloom  and  fruit, 
and  partly  from  the  inward  and  outward  circum- 
stances which  give  rise  to  the  prophecy.  Ba- 
laam sees  "  the  nation  of  Israel  encamped,  ac- 
cording to  its  tribes,  in  the  face  of  its  foes,  the 
nations  of  the  world."  "  He  looks  only  upoo 
the  external  results  of  the  Messianic  kingdom, 
and  these  again  in  a  one-sided  limited  aspect,  to 
the  heathen  powers  in  their  opposition  to  the 
kingdom  of  God  and  their  consequent  subjection. 
Of  the  spiritual  and  earthly  blessings  which  the 
Messiah  should  bring,  not  only  for  Israel,  but 
for  the  heathen  who  should  voluntarily  yield  to 
His  sway,  he  sees  and  describes  nothing."  Kurtz. 
Still  he  does  not  lose  sight  of  the  blessed  and  the 
blessing  nature  of  the  Messianic  kingdom,  chap, 
xxiv.  5-9.  "  Balaam,  the  heathen  seer,  out  of 
Mesopotamia,  the  centre  of  the  national  devel- 
opment of  the  ancient  world,  proclaims,  first  to 
the  existing  representatives  of  the  nations  hos- 
tile to  Israel,"  and  through  them  to  all  hostile 
powers  as  they  should  rise  in  succession,  that  in 
their  enmity  to  Israel  they  were  struggling 
against  the  power  of  the  Almighty,  and  must 
perish,  "  since  life  and  salvation  were  found  only 
in  Israel  whom  God  had  blessed." 

The  star  which  the  wise  men  from  the  East 
saw,  and  which  led  them  in  the  way  to  the  new- 
born "  king  of  the  Jews,"  refers  clearly  to  the 
prophecy  of  Balaam.  It  was  not  the  star  which 
he  foretold,  which  he  saw  but  not  nigh ;  that  star 
was  Christ.  The  star  which  appeared  to  them 
announced  that  the  star  which  Balaam  saw  had 
now  risen  out  of  Jacob  in  the  birth  of  the  king 
of  the  Jews.  These  Magi  were,  like  Balaam, 
from  the  east.     They  were   engaged  in  similar 


pursuits,  devoting  their  lives  to  the  study  of  oc- 
cult sciences;  men  whose  whole  disposition 
would  lead  them  to  study  eagerly  the  revelation 
made  to  the  people  of  God  scattered  widely 
throughout  the  known  world.  They  would  na- 
turally be  drawn  to  the  predictions  of  Balaam, 
one  of  their  own  class,  and  from  their  own  coun- 
try. "  Upon  this  natural  enlightenment,"  says 
Hengstenberg,  "rests  the  supernatural  revela- 
tion granted  to  them.  God  unfolded  to  their 
minds,  which  were  already  filled  with  a  longing 
for  the  *  Star  out  of  Jacob  '  foretold  by  Balaam, 
the  meaning  of  the  star  which  proclaimed  the 
fulfillment  of  Balaam's  prophecy  ;  He  revealed 
to  them,  that  is  to  say,  the  fact  that  it  announced 
the  birth  of  the  '  King  of  the  Jews.'  And  just 
as  Balaam  had  joyously  (?)  exclaimed  '  I  see 
Him,'  and  'I  behold  Him,'  they  also  could  say 
'  We  have  seen  his  star.'  '" — A.  G.]. 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

On  the  whole  section :  Balaam  is  a  type  which 
is  reflected  a  thousand-fold  in  art,  poesy,  science, 
in  the  pulpit,  in  ecclesiastical  government,  whose 
double  face  appears  often  in  the  contrast  between 
a  higher  inspiration,  or  spiritual  (enthusiastic) 
contemplation,  and  a  lower  tendency  and  final 
reprobation. 

His  history  is  important  for  the  knowledge  of 
prophetic  psychology,  for  the  distinction  between 
verbal  and  typical  prophecy,  for  that  between 
belief  and  superstition  regarding  blessings  and 
curses,  as  well  as  for  hermeneutical  science. 
Even  the  ass  throws  a  light  on  the  question  of 
animal  psychology,  a  question  over  which  not 
only  has  rationalism  fallen,  but  Apologetics  has 
stumbled.     See  the  exegesis. 

[The  history  is  impressive  further  as  to  the 
blinding  power  of  sin  when  persisted  in.  Ba- 
laam's love  of  gold  blinds  him  to  the  light  of  that 
knowledge  of  God  which  he  obviously  pnssessed 
before  Balak's  call — to  the  clearer  light  which 
shone  from  the  angel  who  met  him  in  the  way — 
and  lastly  to  the  light  of  those  revelations  which 
shone  around  him  so  clearly.  The  person  so 
blinded  passes  into  deeper  darkness  from  the 
very  process  through  which  he  has  passed.  The 
light  within  becomes  darkness,  and  how  great  is 
the  darkness. 

The  history  brings  out  clearly  the  Providence 
of  God  in  the  development  and  growth  of  the 
characters  of  bad  men.  The  conditions  under 
which  that  progress  is  made,  the  outward  cir- 
cumstances which  furnish  the  occasion  by  which 
the  character  is  tested  and  matured,  these  are  a 
part  of  the  divine  plan.  Balaam's  place  in  his- 
tory is  not  accidental,  nor  are  the  circumstances 
in  which  he  appears  either  the  result  of  chance, 
or  shaped  merely  by  human  agencies.  But  all 
through  his  history  the  divine  providence  works 
restraining  the  evil  principles,  then  permitting 
the  man  to  have  his  own  way,  until  the  final  test 
is  applied,  when  he  must  choose  between  con- 
science and  sinful  lusts,  between  God  and  self. 
The  history  of  Balaam  repeats  itself  more  or  less 
fully  in  a  thousand  cases.  It  is  obvious  fur- 
ther, how  God  shields  and  blesses  His  people. — 
A.  G.]. 


144 


NUMBERS. 


HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 


The  policy  of  Balak.  He  seeks  by  the  curse 
to  depress  the  courage  of  the  Israelites  and  to 
stimulate  the  courage  of  the  Moabites,  and  thus 
secure  the  power  to  destroy  Israel.  An  old 
story,  yet  ever  new.  It  is  like  a  page  from  the 
latest  contemporary  history.  The  dark  fame 
of  Balaam— that  as  a  curser  or  imprecator  he 
was  without  a  rival.  The  character  of  Balaam. 
This  combiaation  of  great  capacities  for  inspira- 
tion with  low  aims  and  passion,  is  of  more  fre- 
quent occurrence  than  we  are  apt  to  think  (see 
the  exegetical  notes).  Balaam's  struggle  and 
apparent  triumph.  The  signs  of  his  defeat  and 
the  fearful  depths  of  his  fall.  The  self-contra- 
diction in  his  nature  grew  into  an  ii-reconcilable 
breach.  Balaam's  speaking  ass,  a  mystery  of 
the  animal,  and  still  more  of  the  human  soul-life. 
The  prophecies  of  Balaam:  examples  of  the  over- 
powering rhetorical  pathos  of  (enthusiastic)  in- 
breathed spiritual  discourse.  The  gradation  in 
his  prophecies.  The  core  and  heart  of  them. 
The  typical  star.  The  Balaam  behind  the  scenes. 
Balaam  and  Balak.  Balaam  as  presented  in  the 
Old  Testament  and  in  the  New. 

[Chap.  xxii.  9-14.  Balaam's  true  state  betrays 
itself  at  the  outset.  He  knows  to  some  extent  the 
history  of  Israel,  and  that  God  had  blessed  them. 
Yet  he  inclines  to  go  and  prouounce  the  curse. 
He  parleys  with  the  temptation.  He  lays  him- 
self open  to  stronger  temptation.  The  Lord 
refuseth  to  give  me  leave  to  go  with  you. 
— 1.  He  wishes  to  go.  2,  He  is  restrained  only 
by  fear.  3.  His  reply  invites  a  renewal  of  the 
proposals,  and  prepares  the  way  for  the  overmas- 
tering temptation  to  come. 

Ver8.15-21.  Henry:  "The  enemies  of  the 
church  are  restless  and  unwearied  in  their  at- 
tempts against  it.  How  artfully  Balak  manages 
the  tempiatioa.  1.  The  messengers  were  more  and 
more  honorable.  2.  The  request  was  more  ur- 
gent. 3.  The  rewards  were  greater."  Balaam's 
seeming  refusal,  his  real  inclination  and  pur- 
pose. Wordsworth:  "He  adds  hypocrisy  to 
covetousness.  Thus  he  tampers  with  his  own 
conscience,  and  tempts  God  to  change  His  mind 
whom  he  knew  and  declared  to  be  immutable." 
Go  vrith  them. — Henry:  "As  God  sometimes 
denies  the  prayers  of  His  people  in  love,  so 
sometimes  He  grants  the  desires  of  the  wicked  in 
wrath.  It  is  a  fearful  thing  when  God  leaves  a 
bad  man  to  follow  his  own  will,  Isaiah  Ixvi.  4; 
Jer.  ii.  19. 

Vers.  22-35.  God's  anger  •was  kindled. — 
Henry:  "The  sin  of  sinners  is  not  to  be  thought 
the  less  provoking  to  God  because  He  permits  it. 
We  must  not  think  that  therefore  He  approves 
it.  Nothing  is  more  displeasing  to  God  than  ma- 
licious designs  against  His  people ;  he  that  touches 
them  touches  the  apple  of  His  eye."  God  stands 
as  an  adversary  in  the  way  of  sinners.  He  re- 
strains and  checks  them  in  their  downward  ca- 
reer; and  yet  He  makes  them  the  ministers  of 
His  purposes  toward  His  own  children. 

Ver.  41.     On   the   morrow. — A   deliberate 


act.  He  goes  after  full  reflection,  and  yet  without 
delay,  he  is  eager  to  fulfil  the  wish  of  Balak  and 
secure  the  coveted  wealth. 

Chap,  xxiii.  1-10.  Balaam  covers  his  purpose 
to  curse  Israel  with  a  show  of  devotion.  His 
sacrifice  not  to  honor  God,  but  either  to  con- 
strain Him  or  win  His  favor.  It  is  characteris- 
tic of  hypocrisy.  I  have  prepared  altars  and 
offered  sacrifices.  Henry:  "He  pronounces 
God's  people  happy  in  three  things.  1.  Happy 
in  their  peculiarity  and  distinction  from  the  rest 
of  the  nations  (ver.  9).  2.  Happy  in  their  num- 
bers (ver.  10).  3.  Happy  in  their  last  end.  Let 
me  die,  etc.  There  are  many  who,  like  Balaam, 
desire  to  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  but  do 
not  endeavor  to  live  the  life  of  the  righteous. 
They  would  be  saints  in  heaven,  bat  not  saints 
on  earth.  This  is  the  desire  of  the  slothful 
which  kills  him  because  his  hands  refuse  to 
labor." 

Vers.  11-24.  He  hath  blessed  and  I  can- 
not reverse  it. — The  gifts  and  calling  of  God 
are  without  repentance.  The  security  of  Israel 
against  all  the  machinations  and  power  of  their 
enemies.  1.  In  the  unchanging  purpose  of  God, 
who  has  made  them  blessed  (vers.  19,  20).  2. 
In  their  moral  character,  as  they  are  viewed  by 
God,  the  objects  of  His  choice  (ver.  21).  3.  In 
their  past  experience  of  the  saving  power  of  God 
(ver.  '22).  4.  God's  presence  with  them  as  their 
King.  What  hath  God  wrought. — Henry: 
"The  defeatiucr  of  the  design  of  the  church's 
enemies  ought  to  be  had  in  everlasting  remem- 
brance to  the  glory  of  God." 

Chap.  xxiv.  1-9.  Henry:  "The  blessing  is  in 
substance  the  same  as  before,  yet  he  admires  in 
Israel:  1.  Their  order  and  beauty  (ver.  5);  2. 
their  fruitfulness  and  increase  (ver.^.  6,  7) ;  3. 
their  honor  and  advancement;  4.  their  power 
and  history  (ver.  8);  5.  thfeir  courage  and  secu- 
rity (ver.  9) ;  6.  Their  interest  and  influence 
upon  their  neighbors  (ver.  9)."  Vers.  6,  7. 
Wordsworth:  "A  beautiful  picture  of  the  true 
Israel  of  God  flowing  forth  from  Christ,  the  di- 
vine fountain  of  grace,  pouring  out  the  living 
waters  of  salvation,  the  pure  streams  of  the  Spi- 
rit (Isa.  xii.  3;  John  iii.  5;  iv.  10;  vii.  38,  39), 
and  watering  the  wilderness  of  the  world  to 
rejoice  and  be  glad,  and  to  blossom  as  the 
rose." 

Vers.  10-14.  Balaam  loses  the  wages  of  un- 
righteousness and  the  favor  and  blessing  of  God. 
Seeking  to  gain  both,  he  gains  neither.  We  can- 
not serve  God  and  Mammon.  The  double-minded 
man  ordinarily  loses  all. 

Vers.  15-24.  Know  the  knowledge  of  the 
Most  High. — Henry:  "A  man  may  be  full  of 
the  knowledge  of  God,  and  yet  utterly  destitute 
of  the  grace  of  God."  Here  is  the  prophecy  of 
the  kingdom  which  is  carried  on  and  completed 
in  Daniel.  It  shall  come  in  the  latter  (at  the  end 
of)  days;  it  shall  come  out  of  Jacob;  it  shall 
come  as  a  star  and  sceptre  in  splendor  and  with 
authority;  it  shall  be  irresistible  in  its  progress; 
its  enemies  shall  be  destroyed  or  fall  into  its  pos- 
session ;  it  shall  be  universal  in  its  extent,  and 
endure  through  the  end  of  days. — A.  Q.] 


CHAP.  XXV.  1-18.  J4.5 


SECOND  SECTION. 

The  Threatening  Apostasy  through  the  Seductions  of  Idolatrous  Feasts  Arrested 

by  the  Zeal  of  Phinehas. 

Chapter  XXV.  1-18. 

1  And  Israel  abode  in  Shittim,  and  the  people  began  to  commit  whoredom  with 

2  the  daughters  of  Moab.     And  they  called  the  people  unto  the  sacrifices  of  their 

3  gods:  and  the  people  did  eat,  and  bowed  down  to  their  gods.  And  Israel  joined 
himself  unto  Baal-peor :  and  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  Israel. 

4  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Take  all  the  heads  of  the  people,  and  hang  them 
up  before  the  Lord  against  the  sun,  that  the  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord  may  be 

5  turned  away  from  Israel.  And  Moses  said  unto  the  judges  of  Israel,  Slay  ye  every 
one  his  men  that  were  joined  unto  Baal-peor. 

6  And,  behold,  one  of  the  children  of  Israel  came  and  brought  unto  his  brethren 
a  Midianitish  woman  in  the  sight  of  Moses,  and  in  the  sight  of  all  the  congregation 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  who  were  weeping  before  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 

7  congregation.  And  when  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  the  son  of  Aaron  the 
priest,  saw  it,  he  rose  up  from  among  the  congregation,  and  took  a  javelin  in  his 

8  hand ;  And  he  went  after  the  man  of  Israel  into  the  tent,  and  thrust  both  of  them 
through,  the  man  of  Israel,  and  the  woman  through  her  belly.     So  the  plague  was 

9  stayed  from  the  children  of  Israel.  And  those  that  died  in  the  plague  were  twenty 
and  four  thousand. 

10,  11  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  the 
son  of  Aaron  the  priest,  hath  turned  my  wrath  away  from  the  children  of  Israel, 
while  he  was  zealous  for  my  sake'  among  them,  that  I  consumed  not  the  children 

12  of  Israel  in  my  jealousy.     Wherefore  say,  Behold,  I  give  unto  him  my  covenant 

13  of  peace :  And  he  shall  have  it,  and  his  seed  after  him,  even  the  covenant  of  an 
everlasting  priesthood ;  because  he  was  zealous  for  his  God,  and  made  an  atone- 

14  ment  for  the  children  of  Israel.  Now  the  name  of  the  Israelite  that  was  slain,  even 
that  was  slain  with  the  Midianitish  woman,  tvas  Zimri,  the  son  of  Salu,  a  prince  of 

15  a  chief  house^  among  the  Simeonites.  And  the  name  of  the  Midianitish  woman 
that  was  slain  was  Cozbi,  the  daughter  of  Zur ;  he  was  head  over  a  people,  a?id  of 
a  chief  house  in  Midian. 

16,  17     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying.  Vex  the  Midianites,  and  smite 
18  them :  For  they  vex  you  with  their  wiles,  wherewith  they  have  beguiled  you  in 
the  matter  of  Peor,  and  in  the  matter  of  Cozbi,  the  daughter  of  a  prince  of  Mi- 
dian, their  sister,  which  was  slain  in  the  day  of  the  plague  for  Poor's  sake, 

1  Marg.  with  my  zeal.  a  Marg.  house  of  a  father. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  3.  Yoked.    HDV,  to  bind,  fasten— to  come  under  the  yoke— to  be  subject  to  discipline  or  rule,  and  so 
to  serve.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  8.  nSpn.    The  arch— the  alcove— applied  here  to  the  inner  or  rear  part  of  the  tent.— A.  G.l 
10 


146 


NUMBERS. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

[Balaam  had  not  returned  to  bis  home,  although 
he  bad  turned  towards  it.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
suppose  ibat  after  leaving  Balak  be  went  to  the 
Israelitish  camp  and  revealed  his  prophecies  to 
Moses  in  the  hope  that  be  might  obtain  the  re- 
ward which  be  bad  failed  to  secure  from  Balak. 
The  words  he  returned  (chap.  xxiv.  25)  are 
hardly  consistent  with  such  a  supposition.  And 
there  is  nothing  in  the  mental  condition  of  Ba- 
laam, fallen  now  from  the  heights  to  which  be 
had  been  taken,  which  should  have  led  him  to 
seek  the  camp  of  Israel.  He  was  evidently  burn- 
ing with  deep  hostility  towards  Jehovah  and  His 
people.  The  loss  of  the  coveted  prize  inilamed 
his  anger.  Moses  may  have  learned  bis  prophe- 
cies through  other  channels,  may  have  received 
them  directly  from  God,  or  perhaps,  as  Keil 
supposes,  Balaam  may  have  communicated  them  to 
the  Israelites  or  to  Pbinebas  when  he  fell  into 
their  bands.  On  his  way  homewards,  burning 
with  bis  anger  and  disappointment,  he  f^lls  in 
with  the  Midianites  who  were  then  dwelling 
upon  the  Moabitish  highlands.  And  here  we 
have  the  plot  which  his  malice  and  cunning  sug- 
gested.—A.  G.] 

The  blessing  of  Balaam  did  not  shield  the  peo- 
ple from  the  curse  to  which  it  exposed  itself  im- 
mediately afterwards  without  any  suspicion  of 
the  protection  which  Jehovah  had  given  it  in 
that  blessing.  On  the  doctrinal  side,  with  re- 
spect to  its  faith,  the  worldly  spirit  found  no  di- 
rect access  to  them;  now  it  attempts,  and  with 
great  success,  to  approach  them  on  the  practical 
side,  undermining  its  faith  by  corrup.ting  its 
moral  character  and  practice.  This  also  is  a 
story  of  the  most  primitive  antiquity,  ever  re- 
peating itself  anew,  and  too  little  studied  in  the 
instance  before  us. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  in  the  first  place  that 
the  people  bad  just  returned  from  their  last  great 
victory  in  the  east  of  Perea,  and  were  now,  in  a 
dangerous  spiritual  mood  resulting  from  their 
victory,  encamped  with  their  spoil  in  the  acacia 
plains,  seeking  repose.  This  encampment  was 
their  Capua. 

Then  begins  the  old  story  of  the  enticing  ido- 
latrous feasts,  against  vvhich  the  earliest  statutes 
had  warned  them,  Ex.  xxiii.  32,  33;  a  story 
which  is  fatally  repeated  through  the  whole  Is- 
raelitish history,  comes  out  again  in  a  new  form 
in  the  first  periods  of  the  Christian  Church  (2 
Peter  and  Jude),  and  in  the  Apocalypse  casts  its 
shadow  down  to  the  verj'  end  of  time.  In 
masked  forms,  especially  under  the  guise  of  sen- 
sual and  voluptuous  delights,  this  temptation 
has  often,  even  in  the  Protestant  Church,  wrought 
destructive  results,  e.g.,  in  the  army  of  Henry 
the  IV.;  among  the  Huguenots  generally  ;  among 
the  Hungarian  Protestants;  at  the  court  of  the 
last  of  the  Stuarts,  and  at  many  other  times  and 
places. 

But  in  such  cases  the  evil,  the  moral  contagion, 
starts  with  the  great,  rather  than  with  the  hum- 
ble, and  this  is  strikingly  exemplified  in  the  pre- 
sent narrative.  As  the  wrath  of  God  broke  out 
against  Israel  and  revealed  itself  in  its  peculiar 
power  and  results,  in  impending  death,  in  a  ter- 


rible pestilence,  then  spake  Jehovah  to  Moses, 
Take  all  the  heads  of  the  people  (those  who 
have  been  leaders  in  the  sin)  and  hang  them 
up  before  the  Lord  against  the  sun. — 
Moses  intended  substantially  tbe  same  thing 
when  in  other  terms  he  said  to  tbe  judges: 
Slay  ye  every  man  his  men  that  w^ere 
joined  unto  Baal-Peor. — Just  then  occurs  tbe 
most  glaring  example  of  the  sin.  Zimri,  a  prince 
of  tbe  tribe  of  Simeon,  leads  his  paramour,  a 
Midianitish  princess,  with  shameless  impudence, 
into  his  tent,  in  the  presence  of  all  tbe  peo- 
ple. How  much  less  guilty  the  common  people 
were,  in  comparison  with  such  effrontery,  ap- 
pears from  tbe  fact  stated,  that  all  the  people 
who  saw  the  outrage  were  weeping  at  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  Moses 
himself  seems  to  have  been  confounded. 

Nothing  less  than  the  exercise  of  a  holy  burn- 
ing zeal,  such  as  came  upon  Pbinebas,  could 
have  stayed  the  tide  of  corruption.  It  is  useless 
here  to  attempt  to  trace  back  to  a  definite  sta- 
tute or  institution  the  zealot  right  which  appears 
here  in  its  strongest  form.  It  wells  up  from  the 
depths  of  the  theocratic  life,  as  a  primitive  form 
of  police,  having  its  precedent  in  the  judgment 
exercised  upon  the  more  guilty  offenders  at  the 
worship  of  the  golden  calf,  and  its  analogies  in 
the  arbitrary  exercise  of  justice,  now  in  the 
vehme  courts,  now  in  lynch-law,  etc.  In  Israel 
Zealotism  was  the  complement  of  the  law  in  its 
practical  aspect,  as  Urim  andTbummim  were  the 
complement  of  prophecy.  There  was  here  also 
a  priestly  basis  and  support.  Pbinebas  was  the 
son  of  Eleazar,  the  successor  of  Aaron.  His  he- 
roic act  confirmed  to  him  the  inheritance  of  his 
priesthood.  The  energetic  character  of  bis  deed 
comes  out.in  the  strongest  light  in  the  text.  This 
act  was  accepted  as  the  decisive,  satisfactory 
atonement  of  the  collective  guilt  of  the  people. 
The  plague  -was  stayed. — As  tbe  Israelites 
had  before  determined  upon  a  later  war  of  re- 
venge against  the  king  of  Arad,  so  now  Moses 
resolves  to  be  avenged  upon  tbe  Midianites.  The 
breach  between  the  easily  deluded  Israel,  and 
this  dangerous  neighboring  people,  should  be 
made  sure  and  lasting. 

There  is  moreover  a  very  remarkable  delicacy 
in  the  narrative,  in  omitting  any  allusion  here 
to  the  instigator  of  the  temptation.  The  great 
villain  and  his  villanous  deed,  lies  deeply  con- 
cealed in  the  background,  and  the  story  leaves 
him  in  his  concealment  for  the  present,  because 
it  is  concerned  mainly  to  bring  out  the  fact  that 
the  people,  or  rather  the  heads  of  tbe  people,  are 
chargeable  for  the  sin.  It  knows  nothing  now 
of  any  sentimental  palliation  of  their  conscious 
guilt;  but  the  demoniacal  wickedness  of  the 
tempter,  and  the  judgment  which  overtook  him 
are  related  later,  and  from  thence  onward  in  all 
the  theocratic  tradition,  he  is  the  great  type  of 
such  seducers.  We  may  perhaps  regard  it  as  a 
consoling  truth,  that  while  retribution  was  so 
long  delayed,  while  his  godless  villany  lay  hid- 
den for  so  long  a  period,  yet  judgment  overtakes 
him  at  last. 

Balaam  appears  moreover  to  have  reached  the 
Moabites,  through  the  mediation  of  the  nomadic 
Midianites  lying  upon  the  borders  of  Moab.  The 
Midianites  accordingly  form  the  connecting  link 


CHAP.  XXV.  1-18. 


147 


between  Israel  and  Moab  ;  but  the  princes  of 
Moab  obviously  consecrate  their  own  daughters 
to  the  work  of  seduction. 

Ver.  1.  Shittim. — An  abbreviation  for  Abel- 
shittim,  see  xxii.  1,  a  part  of  the  plains  of  Moab 
in  the  direction  of  Palestine,  Josh.  ii.  1  ;  iii.  1. 
It  does  not  appear  from  the  text  that  the  fall  of 
the  people  began  with  carnal  lewdness.  It  began 
apparently  with  the  invitation  from  the  daugh- 
ters of  Moab  to  attend  the  sacrificial  feasts  of 

their  gods.  [The  /X  in  the  text,  in  its  position 
and  form,  intimates  that  the  invitation  came  from 
the  daughters  of  Moab.  And  this  is  explicitly 
stated  in  the  following  verse.  They,  the  daugh- 
ters of  Moab,  called  the  people  unto  the 
sacrifices  of  their  gods,  the  gods  of  those  who 
extended  the  invitation.  It  is  the  usual  process 
in  the  falls  of  Israel. — A.  G.].  Sins  of  the  flesh 
and  the  falling  away  to  idolatrous  service  were 
the  results.  But  both  sins  are  bound  up  in  the 
one  conception  of  whoredom.  The  prostitution, 
the  selling  as  it  were  of  human  personality,  fol- 
lows upon  the  concessions  of  the  personality  of 
God.  [The  acacia  and  palm  groves,  with  their 
shade,  gave  a  welcome  retreat  after  these  long 
wanderings  in  the  barren  desert,  and  the  sore 
struggles  through  which  they  had  passed. — A.  G.] 

Ver.  3.  Baal-peor.  —  Lascivious  rites  were 
widely  spread  and  prevalent  in  Babylonia  and 
Syria.  See  Knobel.  [Also  article  Baal  in  Smith's 
Bible  Dictionary. — A.  G.].  It  was  Baal,  espe- 
cially as  he  was  worshipped  at  Peor,  with  lust- 
ful practice  (hence  Baal  is  sometimes  called 
Peor).  Beth-Peor,  Deut.  iii.  29  ;  iv.  46.  "  He 
was  a  Moabitish  Priapus,  in  honor  of  whom  vir- 
gins and  women  prostituted  themselves.  As  the 
god  of  war  he  was  called  Chemosh,"  Keil.  We 
distinguish  in  the  same  divinity  between  the  god 
of  fortune  and  the  god  of  misfortune,  thus  :  the 
first  was  worshipped  with  voluptuous  sacrifices, 
the  latter  with  human  sacrifices — Moloch-sacri- 
fices. And  the  anger  of  the  LORD  was 
kindled.  See  Ex.  iv.  li4 ;   Ps.  xc. 

Ver.  4.  After  the  destructive  pestilence  had 
broken  out  among  the  people,  Jehovah  Himself 
appoints  the  first  remedy.  According  to  Knobel, 
whom  Keil  follows  here,  the  heads  of  the  people 
are  only  called  out  in  order  to  hang  the  guilty 
ones  among  them.  The  whole  narrative  will 
thus  lose  its  very  nerve  and  substance,  and  surely 
this  can  scarcely  be  the  true  interpretation  of 
DniX  i'p;ni.     All  the  heads  of  the  people 

must  clearly  refer  only  to  the  guilty  :  but  these 
are  to  he  discriminated  by  the  judges.  Hang 
them  up  before  the  LORD  (as  a  curse-offer- 
ing) against  the  sun. — There  were  two  prin- 
cipal modes  of  Oriental  hanging.  The  one  was 
fatalin  its  operation — a  literal  crucifixion — which 
however  divided  itself  again  into  two  kinds  ; 
nailing  and  impalement.  In  the  other  the  cri- 
minals were  slain  first,  and  then  fastened  to  a 
pole  for  exhibition  or  atonement,  "so  that  the 
impalement  or  crucifixion  was  only  an  aggrava- 
tion of  the  capital  punishment,  like  the  burning 
in  Lev.  xx.  14,  and  the  hanging  in  Deut.  xxi.  22. 
The  rendering  of  the  Sept.  and  Vulg.  is  irdpa- 
deiy/naTil^eiv  and  suspendere."   Keil. 

[Knobel  :   "  Crucifixion  was  a  mode  of  capital 
punishment  in  use  among  the  nations  of  anti- 


quity, and  could  not  have  been  strange  to  the 
Hebrews  ;  but  among  the  older  Hebrews  rarely 
if  ever,  except  in  the  suspending  of  the  dead 
corpse  as  an  aggravation  of  the  punishment." 
Against  the  sun,  t.  e.,  publicly  not  in  conceal- 
ment. It  was  a  public  and  shameful  exhibition — 
as  if  the  heaven  and  the  earth  were  both  unwill- 
ing to  receive  them — and  therefore  added  to  the 
severity  of  the  punishment.  Before  the  Lord: 
not  merely  as  sinners  against  Him,  and  hence  in 
His  presence,  but  as  the  preposition  means  to 
Him — as  a  satisfaction  to  Him,  to  appease  His 
wrath. — A.  G.]. 

Ver.  5.  Keil  says:  "  This  command  of  Moses 
to  the  judges  was  not  carried  out  because  the 
matter  took  a  different  tarn."  He  adds,  how- 
ever, later,  twenty-four  thousand  were  killed  by 
the  plague.  The  Apostle  Paul  gives  the  number 
that  fell  as  twenty-three  thousand,  probably  from 
a  traditional  interpretation  of  the  schools,  that 
one  thousand  out  of  the  twenty-four,  perished  by 
the  judges,  and  only  twenty-three  thousand  fell 
by  the  plague  literally — to  whom  alone  Paul  re- 
fers." We  must  make  a  distinction  also  between 
the  execution  of  the  guilty  generally,  and  the 
hanging  up  against  the  sun,  the  latter  sentence 
being  inflicted  only  upon  the  criminals  of  higher 
stations,  and  for  purposes  of  intimidation. 

[Slay  ye  every  one  his  man. — There  is  a 
reference  to  the  local  or  tribal  courts  which  ex- 
isted even  then.  The  judges  were  severally  to 
execute  the  sentence  upon  the  guilty  belonging 
to  his  jurisdiction.  Hirsch  :  ''  The  Jewish 
court  had  no  right  to  intervene  unless  upon  a 
public  accusation.  There  need  not  be,  however, 
any  oflScial  public  accuser.  The  whole  people 
virtually  occupied  that  position.  Any  two  men 
might  arrest  the  criminal  and  bring  him  before 
the  court,  and  demand  a  punishment  according 
to  the  offence.  But  as  in  cases  like  this,  in  which 
there  is  a  wide  and  public  apostacy,  these  steps 
were  not  taken,  perhaps  could  not  be — therefore 
God  Himself  lets  His  anger  flame  against  Israel 
— assumes  the  responsibility  and  exercises  the 
functions  of  the  judge. — A.  G.]. 

Vers.  6-9.  He  leads  her  before  the  eyes  of  Is- 
rael into  the  female  apartment  of  his  tent.  Phi- 
nehas  pierced  both  of  them  through  in  the  very 
act.  The  original  will  scarcely  admit  any  other 
view,  and  the  deviations  from  it  among  the  Rab- 
bins are  untenable.  [Keil  :  "  Upon  this  act  of 
Phinehas  and  later  examples  of  Samuel  (1  Sam. 
XV.  33)  and  Mattathias  (1  Mace.  ii.  24),  the  later 
Jews  erected  the  so-called  '  Zealot-right,'  accord- 
inof  to  which  any  one,  even  though  not  qualified 
by  his  official  position,  possessed  the  right,  in 
cases  of  any  daring  contempt  of  the  theocratic 
institutions,  or  any  daring  violation  of  the  honor 
of  God,  to  execute  vengeance  upon  the  criminals. 
See  Buddeus'  de  jure  zelotarum  apud  Heb.  1699." 
Kurtz,  Geschich.  des  A.  B.  reminds  us  however 
that  Phinehas  as  an  actual  priest  and  designated 
successor  to  the  High  Priest,  had  an  ofiBcial  po- 
sition, that  Moses'  command  to  slay  the  trans- 
gressors had  already  been  issued,  that  the  cir- 
cumstances were  extraordinary,  the  boldness  of 
the  crime,  the  great  interests,  even  the  highest 
good  imperilled,  justified  his  assumption  of 
authority,  and  his  consecration  to  his  judicial 
act.     It  would  be  very  strange  to  construe  such 


148 


NUMBERS. 


an  act,  by  such  a  person,  under  such  circum- 
stances, into  a  precedent  for  irregular  acts  of 
zeal.— A.  G.]. 

Vers.  10-12.  'O^JJl"?  "  is  not  zeal  for  me,  but 
my  zeal,  the  zeal  of  Jehovah,  with  which  Phine- 
has  was  filled,  and  impelled  to  put  the  daring 
sinners  to  death,"  Keil.  The  zeal  of  Jehovah 
manifested  itself  in  the  plague.  Here  the  zeal 
of  Phinehas  for  Jehovah  is  exalted  according  to 
its  real  merit.  [Hath  turned  my  -wrath 
a:vay.     He    made    an   atonement  for  the 

children  of  Israel — "^?.3V.  ^^^  covered,  or  was 
for  a  covering.  Bible.  Com.  :  "  The  signal  ex- 
ample thus  made  by  Phinehas  of  a  leading  of- 
fender, was  accepted  by  God  as  an  expiation, 
and  the  exterminating  wrath  which  had  gone 
out  against  the  whole  people  was  arrested."  I 
give  him  my  covenant  of  peace. — Give  or 
fulfil.  "  The  covenant  granted  to  Phinehas  con- 
sisted in  the  fact  that  an  eternal  priesthood  {i.  e., 
the  eternal  possession  of  the  priesthood)  was  se- 
cured to  him;  not  for  himself  alone,  but  for  his 
descendants  also  as  a  covenant,  i.  e.,  in  a  cove- 
nant or  irrevocable  form,  since  God  never  breaks 
a  covenant  that  He  has  made.  In  accordance 
with  this  promise  the  high  priesthood  which 
passed  from  Eleazar  to  Phinehas  continued  in 
his  family,  with  the  exception  of  a  brief  period  from 
Eli  to  David,  until  the  typical  priesthood  of  Aaron 
was  merged  into  the  actual  priesthood  of  Christ." 
Keil.  The  covenant  of  peace,  because  it  is 
only  through  the  priesthood  and  its  atoning  sacri- 
fices that  peace  between  God  and  the  sinful  world 
can  be  established,  as  it  was  through  the  act  of 
Phinehas,  by  which  God's  right  was  vindicated 
and  established  in  Israel,  that  His  wrath  was 
stayed,  and  peace  restored. — A.  G.]. 

Vers.  14,  15.  Zimri  was  a  prince  out  of  the 
chief  house  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  but  the  father 
of  the  Midianitish  woman  Cozbi  was  the  head  of 
several  tribes,  and  of  a  chief  house  in  Midian, 
and  is  called  king,  and  numbered  among  the 
five  kings  of  Midian  who  were  slain  by  the  Is- 
raelites, chap.  xxxi.  8. 

Vers.  16-18.  Cozbi  their  sister. — The  repe- 
tition is  emphatic,  the  clauses  form  a  climax.  It 
was  an  extreme  case  of  the  grossest  outrage  that 
Cozbi,  a  Midianitish  princess,  the  sister  of  the 
people,  i.  e.,  of  their  chiefs,  should  herself  be 
led  in  clear  sunlight,  into  the  sacred  camp,  to 
glorify  lust,  and  render  it  an  act  of  service  or 
worship.  [Baumgaeten:  "Moses  was  com- 
manded to  vex  the  Midianites  in  order  that  the 
practical  zeal  of  Phinehas  against  sin,  by  which 
expiation  had  been  made  for  the  guilt,''might  be 
adopted  by  all  the  nation." — A.  G.]. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

The  history  of  the  fall  and  sin  of  Israel  through 
its  participation  in  the  idolatrous  festivals  of  the 
Midianitish  gods,  can  scarcely  be  too  strongly 
emphasized,  in  its  significance  for  the  Christian 
history  of  the  Church  and  world.  Its  particular 
features  are,  1.  The  stealthy  diabolical  counsel 
of  Balaam  to  destroy  the  people  of  the  faith  by 
beguiling  them  into  lascivious  worship,  and 
worldly  lusts  and  passions  generally.  This 
fiendish  method  has  played  a  larger  pnrt  in  se- 
eret  than  has  ever  found  publicity  in  history. 


poisoning  individual  characters,  and  whole  na- 
tions. 2.  The  dangerous  situation  of  Israel,  as 
it  is  encamped  in  the  acacia  groves  and  cele- 
brates its  victories.  3.  The  alluring  invitation 
to  the  idolatrous  festivals  and  sacrifices.  4.  The 
evil  example  of  the  great,  and  of  the  upper  class 
in  general.  The  fearful  result  of  the  entice- 
ment and  sin  of  Israel,  appears  morally  in  a  lapse 
from  the  faith  and  its  pure  morality,  and  physi- 
cally in  the  outgrowth  of  deadly  pestilences.  On 
the  other  hand  these  offences  call  out  in  unex- 
ampled vigor  the  spirit  of  zeal,  the  primal  source 
and  type  of  all  moral  police,  as  it  has  celebrated 
its  triumphs  in  Florence,  Geneva  and  elsewhere. 
Such  acts  of  moral  defence  and  safety  must  be 
broadly  distinguished  from  deeds  of  fanaticism  ; 
although  the  flame  rarely  begins  without  smoke. 
Generally  we  have  here  the  primitive  type  of 
that  ever  returning  freeing  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  from  all  antinomianism,  from  all  libertinism 
in  the  great,  and  all  hypocrisy  in  the  small,  from 
all  mingling  of  holiness  with  glittering  fleshly 
lusts,  and  from  all  mingling  of  hallowed  festal 
service,  with  seductive  and  corrupting  feasts. 
The  name  Cozbi  has  especially  furnished  a  basis 
for  a  long  catalogue  of  sister  names,  who,  like 
the  Jezebel  of  the  Apocalypse,  have  wrought  fatal 
mischief  in  both  worldly  and  spiritual  circles. 

[The  history  shows  that  the  "  curse  causeless 
never  comes."  God's  people  are  safe  from  the 
curse  unless  they  bring  it  upon  themselves.  They 
never  experience  it  unless  they  have  practically 
renounced  God  and  His  law.  The  floodgates  are 
open,  then,  and  nothing  but  a  vindicated  divine 
right  will  stem  the  tide. — A.  G.]. 

HOMILETICAL    HINTS. 

The  enticement  of  Israel  through  the  idola- 
trous Midianitish  festivals.  An  old  and  new 
story.  Cozbi  a  type  of  the  historical  and  cor- 
rupting woman.  The  zeal  of  Phinehas  or  the 
distinction  between  religious  and  fanatical  zeal- 
otism.  The  idolatrous  Midianitish  festivals,  a 
lasting  warning  for  Christendom.  A  warning  also 
against  the  mingling  of  religious  devotion  with 
the  sexual  life,  characteristic  of  some  sects.  The 
twofold  correction  of  the  divine  righteousness 
for  the  Midianitish  excesses.  The  plague  or  the 
pestilence,  and  the  sword  of  Phinehas.  How 
often  may  the  judicial  sword  hinder  or  remove 
a  pestilence.  [Heney:  "  AVe  have  here :  1.  The 
sin  of  Israel.  2.  Its  punishment  by  the  hand  of 
the  magistrate  and  by  the  immediate  hand  of 
God.  3.  The  zeal  of  Phinehas  in  slaying  the 
impudent  oS"enders.  4.  God's  commendation  of 
his  zeal ;  and  5.  The  enmity  put  between  the 
Israelites  and  the  Midianites  their  tempters,  as 
at  first  between  the  woman  and  the  serpent. 
The  heads  of  the  people  who  were  guilty  are  first 
slain.  Ringleaders  in  sin  ought  to  be  made  ex- 
amples of  justice.  Zimri's  sin  was  a  daring  af- 
front: 1.  To  the  justice  of  the  nation,  and  bid 
defiance  to  that.  2.  To  the  religion  of  the  na- 
tion, and  put  contempt  upon  that.  In  the  face 
of  the  command  to  stay  the  criminals,  and  while 
the  congregation  were  weeping  at  the  door  of 
the  tabernacle."  It  was  also  a  bold  affront 
against  God.  Since  it  was  committed  while  the 
plague  was  raging.  God  will  surely  deal  with 
those  who  do  the  devil's  work  in  tempting  mea 
to  sin. — A.  G.]. 


CHAP.  XXVI.  1-65.  149 


THIRD  SECTION. 
The  New  Numbering  of  the  People  after  the  Great  Judgment  Executed  upon  It. 

Chapter  XXVI.  1-65. 

1  And  it  came  to  pass  after  the  plague,  that  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 

2  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest,  saying,  Take  the  sum  of  all  the  congregation 
of  Israel,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  throughout  their  fathers'  house,  all 

3  that  are  able  to  go  to  war  in  Israel.     And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  spake  with 

4  them  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan  near  Jericho,  saying,  Take  the  sum  of  the 
people,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses  and 
the  children  of  Israel,  which  went  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

5  Reuben,  the  eldest  son  of  Israel :  the  children  of  Reuben ;  Hanoch,  of  whom 

6  Cometh  the  family  of  the  Hanochites :  of  Pallu,  the  family  of  the  Palluites :  Of 
Hezron,  the  family  of  the  Hezronites :    of  Carmi,  the  family  of  the  Carmites. 

7  These  are  the  families  of  the  Reubenites :  and  they  that  were  numbered  of  them 

8  were  forty  and  three  thousand  and  seven  hundred  and  thirty.     And  the  sons  of 

9  Pallu  ;  Eliab.  And  the  sons  of  Eliab  ;  Nemuel,  and  Dathan,  and  Abiram.  This 
is  that  Dathan  and  Abiram,  which  were  famous  in  the  congregation,  who  strove 
against  Moses  and  against  Aaron  in  the  company  of  Korah,  when  they  strove 

10  against  the  Lord  :  And  the  earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  them  up 
together  with  Korah,  when  that  company  died,  what  time  the  fire  devoured  two 

11  hundred  and  fifty  men  :  and  they  became  a  sign.  Notwithstanding  the  children 
of  Korah  died  not. 

12  The  sons  of  Simeon  after  their  families :  of  ^Nemuel,  the  family  of  the  Nemuel^ 
ites :  of  Jamin,  the  family  of  the  Jaminites :  of  ^Jachin,  the  family  of  the  Jachin- 

13  ites:  Of  *Zerah,  the  family  of  the  Zarhites:  of  Shaul,  the  family  of  the  Shaulites. 

14  These  are  the  families  of  the  Simeonites,  twenty  and  two  thousand  and  two  hun- 
dred. 

15  The  children  of  Gad  after  their  families :  of  ^Zephon,  the  family  of  the  Zephon* 
ites :  of  Haggi,  the  family  of  the  Haggites :  of  Shuni,  the  family  of  the  Shunites : 

16, 17  Of  ^Ozni,  the  family  of  the  Oznites  :  of  Eri,  the  family  of  the  Erites:  Of  "Arod 

18  the  family  of  the  Arodites :  of  Areli,  the  family  of  the  Arelites.  These  are  the 
families  of  the  children  of  Gad  according  to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
forty  thousand  and  five  hundred. 

19  The  sons  of  Judah  ivere  Er  and  Onan :  and  Er  and  Onan  died  in  the  land  of 

20  Canaan.  And  the  sons  of  Judah  after  their  families  were ;  of  Shelah,  the  family 
of  the  Shelahites:   of  Pharez,  the  family  of  the  Pharzites  :  of  Zerah,  the  family  of 

21  the  Zarhites.     And  the  sons  of  Pharez  were :  of  Hezron,  the  family  of  the  Hezron- 

22  ites :  of  Hamul,  the  family  of  the  Hamulites.  These  are  the  families  of  Judah 
according  to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  three-score  and  sixteen  thousand 
and  five  hundred. 

23  Of  the  sons  of  Issachar  after  their  families  :  of  Tola,  the  family  of  the  Tolaites  : 

24  of  Tua,  the  family  of  the  Punites :  Of  »Jashub,  the  family  of  the  Jashubites :  of 

25  Shimron,  the  family  of  the  Shimronites.  These  are  the  families  of  Issachar  accord- 
ing to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  threescore  and  four  thousand  and  three 
hundred. 


150  NUMBERS. 


26  Oj  the  sons  of  Zebulun  after  their  families :  of  Sered,  the  family  of  the  Sardites : 
of  Elou,  the  family  of  the  Elonites :  of  Jahleel,  the  family  of  the  Jahleelites. 

27  These  are  the  families  of  the  Zebulunites  aceordiug  to  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  threescore  thousand  aud  five  hundred. 

28,  29  The  sous  of  Joseph  after  their  families  were  Manasseh  and  Ephraim.  Of  the 
sons  of  Manasseh :  of  Machir,  the  family  of  the  Machirites :  and  Machir  begat 

30  Gilead :  of  Gilead  come  the  family  of  the  Gileadites.  These  are  the  sons  of  Gilead : 
oj  Meezer,  the  family  of  the  Jeezerites :  of  Helek,  the  family  of  the   Helekites : 

31  And  oj  Asriel,  the  family  of  the  Asrielites :  and  oj  Shechem,  the  family  of  the 

32  Shechemites :  And  oj  Shemida,  the  family  of  the  Shemidaites :  and  oj  Hepher,  the 
family  of  the  Hepherites. 

33  And  Zelophehad  the  son  of  Hepher  had  no  sons,  but  daughters :  and  the  names 
of  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad  were  Mahlah,  and  Noah,  Hoglah,  Milcah,  and  Tir- 

3'4  zah.  These  are  the  families  of  Manasseh,  and  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
fifty  and  two  thousand  and  seven  hundred. 

35  These  are  the  sons  of  Ephraim  after  their  families  :  of  Shuthelah,  the  family  of 
the  Shuthalhites :  of  '"Becher,  the  family  of  the  Bachrites  :  of  Tahan,  the  family 

36  of  the  Tahanites.     And  these  are  the  sons  of  Shuthelah :  of  Eran,  the  family  of 

37  the  Eranites.  These  are  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Ephraim  according  to  those 
that  were  numbered  of  them,  thirty  and  two  thousand  and  five  hundred.  These 
are  the  sons  of  Joseph  after  their  families. 

38  The  sons  of  Benjamin  after  their  families :  of  Bela,  the  family  of  the  Belaites : 
of  Ashbel,  the  family  of  the  Ashbelites  :   of  "Ahiram,  the  family  of  the  Ahiramites : 

39  Of  '^Shupham,  the  family  of  the  Shuphamites :   of  Hupham,  the  family  of  the 

40  Huphamites.     And  the  sons  of  Bela  Avere  ^^Ard  and  Naaman :  oj  Ard,  the  family 

41  of  the  Ardites  :  and  of  Naaman,  the  family  of  the  Naamites.  These  are  the  sons 
of  Benjamin  after  their  families  :  and  they  that  were  numbered  of  them  were  forty 
and  five  thousand  and  six  hundred. 

42  These  are  the  sons  of  Dan  after  their  families :  of  "Shuham,  the  family  of  the 

43  Shuhamites.  These  are  the  families  of  Dan  after  their  families.  All  the  families 
of  the  Shuhamites,  according  to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were  threescore 
and  four  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

44  Oj  the  children  of  Asher  after  their  families :  of  Jimna,  the  family  of  the  Jim- 
nites :  of  Jesui,  the  family  of  the  Jesuites :  of  Beriah,  the  family  of  the  Beriites. 

45  Of  the  sons  of  Beriah :  of  Heber,  the  family  of  the  Heberites :  of  Malchiel,  the 

46  family  of  the  Malchielites.     And  the  name  of  the  daughter  of  Asher  was  Sarah. 

47  These  are  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Asher  according  to  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them :  who  were  fifty  and  three  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

48  Oj  the  sons  of  Naphtali  after  their  families :  of  Jahzeel,  the  family  of  the  Jah- 

49  zeelites:  of  Guni,  the  family  of  the  Gunites:  Of  Jezer,  the  family  of  the  Jezerites: 

50  of  ^'Shillem,  the  family  of  the  Shillemites.  These  are  the  families  of  Naphtali 
according  to  their  families :  aud  they  that  were  numbered  of  them  were  forty  and 

51  five  thousand  and  four  hundred.  These  were  the  numbered  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  six  hundred  thousand  and  a  thousand  seven  hundred  and  thirty. 

52,  53     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Unto  these  the  land  shall  be  divided 

54  for  an  inheritance  according  to  the  number  of  names.  To  many  thou  shalt  '^give 
the  more  inheritance,  and  to  few  thou  shalt  ''give  the  less  inheritance :  to  every 
one  shall  his  inheritance  be  given  according  to  those  that  were  numbered  of  him. 

55  Notwithstanding  the  land  shall  be  divided  by  lot :  according  to  the  names  of  the 

56  tribes  of  their  fathers  they  shall  inherit.  According  to  the  lot  shall  the  possession 
thereof  be  divided  between  many  and  few. 


CHAP.  XXVI.  1-65. 


151 


57  And  these  are  they  that  were  numbered  of  the  Levites  after  their  families :  of 
Gershon,  the  family  of  the  Gershonites  ;  of  Kohath,  the  family  of  the  Kohathites ; 

68  of  Merari,  the  family  of  the  Merarites.  These  are  the  families  of  the  Levites :  the 
family  of  the  Libnites,  the  family  of  the  Hebronites,  the  family  of  the  Mahlites, 
the  family  of  the  Mushites,  the  family  of  the  Korathites.     And  Kohath  begat 

59  Amram.  And  the  name  of  Amram's  wife  was  Jochebed,  the  daughter  of  Levi, 
whom  her  mother  bare  to  Levi  in  Egypt :  and  she  bare  unto  Amram,  Aaron  and 

60  Moses,  and  Miriam  their  sister.     And  unto  Aaron  was  born  Nadab  and  Abihu, 

61  Eleazar  and  Ithamar.     And  Nadab  and  Abihu  died,  when  they  offered  strange 

62  fire  before  the  Lord.  And  those  that  were  numbered  of  them  Avere  twenty  and 
three  thousand,  all  males  from  a  month  old  and  upward :  for  they  were  not  num- 
bered among  the  children  of  Israel,  because  there  was  no  inheritance  given  them 
among  the  children  of  Israel. 

63  These  are  they  that  were  numbered  by  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  who  num- 

64  bered  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan  near  Jericho.  But 
among  these  there  was  not  a  man  of  them  whom  Moses  and  Aaron  the  priest  num- 
bered, when  they  numbered  the  children  of  Israel  in   the   wilderness   of  Sinai. 

65  For  the  Lord  had  said  of  them.  They  shall  surely  die  in  the  wilderness.  And 
there  was  not  left  a  man  of  them,  save  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  and  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun. 


1  Marg.,  Gen.  xlvi.  10;  Ezek.  vi.  15,  Jemuel. 

*  Gen.  xlvi.  10,  Ziphion. 

">  or  Phuvah. 

10  1  Chron.  vii.  20,  Bered. 

^  Gen.  xlvi.  21,  Muppim  and  Huppim. 

1*  or  Hushini. 

16  Heb.  multiply  his  inheritance. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


The  more  definite  preparations  for  the  entrance 
into  Canaan  begin  with  this  chapter.  It  gives 
us  an  enlargement,  as  well  as  a  parallel  to  the 
numbering  in  chap,  i.,  and  has  its  application 
in  the  partition  of  the  land  of  promise  in  Josh, 
xiv.  et  seq.  An  enlargement  as  to  the  right  of 
inheritance  is  found  in  the  succeeding  chap, 
vers.  1-11  ;  the  following  section,  vers.  12-23,  con- 
tains the  calling  of  Joshua  to  the  leadership  of 
the  people  after  the  approaching  departure  of 
Moses.  Then  chap,  xxviii.  completes  the  ordi- 
nances for  sacrifices  and  feasts  with  reference 
to  the  approaching  settlement  in  Canaan.  Lastly 
we  have  the  law  in  regard  to  vows,  chap.  xxx. 
Upon  this  follows  the  final  reckoning  with  the 
heathen  in  the  retaliatory  raid  against  the 
Midianites. 

The  general  object  of  the  mustering  is  to  fix 
anew  the  order  and  number  of  the  army,  after 
it  has  in  the  new  generation  been  purified 
through  two  death-visitations,  especially  by  the 
last  great  catastrophe  as  by  fire,  and  also  after 
the  entire  older  generation,  with  the  exception 
of  the  chosen  men  Caleb  and  Joshua,  and  Moses, 
whose  death  was  at  hand,  had  passed  away. 
The  more  definite  purpose,  however,  is  the 
organization  of  the  people  with  reference  to  the 
approaching  division  of  the  inheritance  accord- 
ing to  their  fighting  strength.  Hence  the  fami- 
lies of  the  different  tribes  are  enumerated  in 
detail. 

To  avoid  repetition  we  shall  not  pursue  here 
the  inquiry  as  to  the  significance  of  individual 
names,  but  may  here  also  refer  to  the  importance 


*  1  Chron.  iv.  24,  Jarib.  »  Gen.  xlvi.  10,  Zohar. 

5  or  Ezbon,  Gen.  xlvi.  16.       «  Gen.  xlvi.  IG,  Arodi. 

8  or  Job.  *  ca.\\e d  Abiezer,  Josh.  xvii.2,efc. 

"  Gen.  xlvi.  21,  Ehi:  1  Chron.  viii.  1,  Aharah. 

13  1  Chron.  viii.  3,  Addar. 

15  1  Chron.  vii.  l:i,  Shnllnm. 

1'  Heb.  diminish  his  inheritance. 


of  the  names  for  a  proper  estimate  of  the  reli- 
gious and  popular  character  of  the  Israelites. 

Vers.  1-4.  The  order  for  the  mustering.  See 
Num.  i.  et  seq.  [After  the  plague.  "  The 
words  fix  approximately  the  dale  at  which  the 
census  was  taken,  and  intimate  the  reason  for 
the  great  decrease  in  numbers  which  was  found 
to  have  taken  place  in  certain  tribes."  Speak. 
Com.  While  this  may  be  true  with  respect  to  the 
tribe  of  Simeon,  who  were  perhaps  involved  more 
deeply  in  the  sin  of  Zimri,  there  is  no  sufficient 
reason  to  think  that  a  like  explanation  can  be 
given  for  the  difference  in  numbers  as  to  the  other 
tribes.  Forty  years  in  a  life  like  that  which 
they  led,  affords  ample  room  for  these  differences 
without  supposing  any  extraordinary  reason  for 
them.  There  is  no  striking  variation  except 
with  Simeon. — A.  G.j* 

A  special  motive  is  intimated ;  because  they 
were  enoamped  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  by  Jor- 
dan, near  Jericho.  Hence  the  nutneration  here 
relates  to  the  setttlement  in  Canaan,  whereas 
before  it  has  respect  to  the  army  organizaiion. 
The  dependence  upon  the  early  numbering  occa- 
sions the  beauty  and  simplicity  of  the  record 
here.  [The  ellipsis  in  ver.  4  is  rightly  supplied 
in  our  version  from  ver.  2.  Take  the  sum. 
"The  words  'from  the  children  of  Israel'  in 
ver.  4  onwards  form  the  introduction  to  the 
enumeration  of  the  different  tribes,  and  the  verb 


*  [HiRscH  holds  that  the  enumeration  was  made 
partly  with  reference  to  the  Peor-corruption,  from  which 
every  one  must  now  clear  himself,  and  show  his  lineage 
beyond  question;  and  with  reference  to  the  settlement 
in  Canaan,  each  one  was  to  answer  or  give  his  name, 
his  house,  his  family,  his  tribe,  and  tlms  make  clear 
that  he  belonged  to  Israel,  and  had  part  m  its  work  and 
blessing.— A.  G.] 


152 


NUMBERS. 


VH',  were,  must  be  supplied."  Keil.     So  Lanqe 
also  and  the  LXX.— A.  G.] 

Vers.  5-11.  Reuben  branches  into  four  fami- 
lies, numbers  43,730.  [That  the  number  of  the 
families  has  no  connection  with  the  number  of 
the  tribe  is  evident  from  a  comparison  of  Reuben 
with  Dan.  There  may  have  been  families  not 
enumerated  here,  who  for  some  reason  may  have 
attached  themselves  to  more  powerful  houses; 
and  it  is  not  necessary  to  suppose  that  all  the 
lineal  descendants  of  each  house  are  named. 
Bible  Com.:  "A  variety  of  circumstances 
would  naturally  tend  to  bring  into  prominence 
some  branches  of  the  same  parent  stock,  and 
throw  others  into  the  background." — A.  G.] 
The  grandsons  of  Pallus  of  the  second  family, 
besides  Nemuel  (or  Jemuel),  were  the  rebels 
Daihan  and  Abiram.  With  the  allusion  to  these 
names,  the  account  goes  back  to  the  fearful  end 
of  these  insurgents.  This  end,  however,  is 
clearly  to  be  distinguished  from  the  fire-judg- 
ment upon  the  2-50  oiferers  of  incense,  who 
themselves  a  sign,  left  behind  them  a  sign  in  the 
brazen  covering  upon  the  altar.  The  remarka- 
ble exception  of  the  children  of  Korah,  the 
prime  mover  in  the  rebellion,  who  kept  them- 
selves from  the  uproar,  and  did  not  perish,  is 
dwelt  upon.  [The  children  of  Korah  died 
not. — Wordsworth:  "Therefore  God  does  not 
visit  the  sins  of  the  fathers  on  the  children,  unless 
the  children  follow  the  fathers  in  sin."  A  great 
truth  no  doubt;  but  all  truth  is  many-sided. 
How  far  is  it  true  that  the  children's  following 
in  the  sins  of  their  father  is  judicial,  without 
interfering  with  their  freedom  in  choosing  to  do 
so?  Bible  Com.:  "Samuel  the  prophet  was 
of  this  family,  1  Chron.  vi.  22  seq. ;  Heman, 
'the  king's  seer,'  1  Chron.  xxv.  5." — A.  G.] 

Vers.  12-14.  Simeon,  five  families,  numbers 
22,200.  Obed's  family  (Gen.  xlvi.  10)  had  be- 
come extinct — Nemuel=Jemuel.  [Keil:  Yod 
and  Ifun  are  often  interchanged.  See  Ges., 
Thes.,  pp.  833  and  557;  and  Zerah  is  a  name  of 
the  same  import  with  Zohar  (Zerah,  the  rising 
of  the  sun;  Zohar,  candor,  splendor)." — A.  G.] 

Vers.  15-18.- Gad. — Seven  families,  numbers 
40,500.     Ozni  is  named  Egbon,  Gen.  xlvi.  16. 

Vers.  19-22.  Judah,  three  families,  the  third 
subdivided,  numbers  76,500.  Er  and  Onan  had 
perished  in  Canaan. 

Vers.  23-25.  Issachar. — Four  families,  num- 
bers 64,300.  Jashub  is  called  Job,  Gen.  xlvi. 
13.  The  two  names  have  the  same  signification, 
to  return. 

Vers.  26,  27.  Zebulon— Three  families,  num- 
bers 60,5  0.  [Wordsworth  calls  attention  to 
the  fact  that  while  the  three  tribes  under  Reu- 
ben had  decreased,  all  those  under  Judah  had 
increased.  The  tribes  were  probably  influenced 
by  each  otlier's  example,  may  have  fallen  into 
like  sins,  and  suflFered  under  common  iudgments. 
—A.  G.] 

Vers.  28-84.  Joseph— Manasseh.— The 
family  of  his  son  Machir  was  continued  in  that 
of  Gilead.  This  appears  subdivided  into  six 
families.  But  besides  these,  there  is  another 
family  of  the  Machirites  and  Gileadites  alluded 
to,  i.  e.  a  branch  not  clearLy  defined.     Numbera 


52,700.  [Keil:  The  genealogical  accounts  in 
chap,  xxvii.  36;  Josh.  xvii.  harmonize,  except 
that  Jeezer  here  is  Ariezer  in  Josh.  xvii.  2. 
Heber's  son  Zelophehad  left  only  five  daughters, 
whose  names  are  given  here  to  prepare  the  way 
for  the  legal  regulations  in  chaps,  xxvii.  and 
xxxvi. — A.  G.] 

Vers.  35-37.  Joseph — Ephraim. — Three 
families  and  a  fourth  additional  house  from 
Shuthelah  his  eldest  son.  Numbers  32,500. 
Comp.  1  Chron.  vii.  20. 

Vers.  38-41.  Benjamin. — Seven  families,  of 
which  five  were  founded  by  sons  and  two  by 
grandsons,  i.  e.  grandsons  who  branched  off  into 
separate  houses.  Numbers  45,600.  [The  dif- 
ferences in  the  names.  Gen.  xlvi.  21,  may  be 
explained  on  the  supposition  that  grandsons 
appear  as  sons,  and  partly  by  the  probability 
that  some  of  those  named  in  Genesis  had  died 
like  Obed  in  Simeon  childless,  or  without  found- 
ing distinct  families. — A.  G.] 

Vers.  42,  43.  Dan. — One  family  from  Shuham 
(Gen.  xlvi.  23,  Hushim j,  which,  however,  divided 
itself  into  several  smaller  families.  Numbers 
64,400. 

Vers.  44-47.  Asher.  Three  families  from 
sons,  two  from  grandsons.  He  had  one  daugh- 
ter Sarah.  Numbers  53,400.  Ishua  of  Gen. 
xlvi.  is  wanting  here,  probably  as  in  other  cases 
he  had  founded  no  family. 

Vers.  48-50.  Naphtali.  Four  families. 
Numbers  45,400. 

The  total  number  of  persons  is  601,730.  Com- 
pare  throughout  the  genealogical  table  in  Gen. 
xlvi.  and  1  Chron.  vii.,  as  well  as  the  commen- 
taries upon  them.  [A  comparison  of  the  totals 
here  and  in  chap.  i.  shows  a  small  loss.  The 
people  which  had  grown  so  rapidly  in  Egypt 
had  scarcely  held  its  own  through  the  wilder- 
ness, with  its  sins  and  judgments.  Tliat  one 
generation  merely  filled  the  gaps  made  vacant 
by  the  death  of  that  which  preceded  it,  shows 
that  other  than  merely  natural  causes  were  at 
work  in  the  wasting  of  the  earlier  generation, 
and  confirms  the  history  of  the  wilderness-life. 
—A.  G.] 

Vers.  52-56,  Instructions  for  the  division  of  the 
land.  First  regulation:  Each  tribe  must  have 
a  territory  whose  limits  shall  be  proportionate 
to  its  own  size.  According  to  the  number 
of  names. — Second  regulation:  It  must  be 
decided  by  lot  (between  equal  territories)  which 
shall  fall  to  each  tribe.  [The  lot  was  not  to 
determine  the  extent  of  the  possession,  but  the 
relative  situation,  and  was  used  not  only  to  pre- 
vent dissatisfaction  and  disputes,  "  but  that 
every  tribe  might  receive  with  gratitude  its 
possession  as  assigned  to  it  by  God  Himself  who 
determines  the  lot."— A.  G.]  Third  regulation: 
Each  inheritance  bears  the  name  of  the  ancestor 
of  the  tribe. 

Vers.  57-62.  Mustering  of  the  Levitcs.  We 
have  merely  a  sketch  or  outline  for  the  sake 
of  completing  the  list.  For  since  this  last 
enumeration  is  mainly  with  reference  to  the 
inheritance,  and  the  Levites  were  not  lo  have 
any  inheritance  or  possession,  they  occupy  little 
space  here.     Thus,  1.  The  three  chief  houses: 


CHAP.  XXVII.  l-Il. 


153 


Qershon,  Kohath,  and  Merari.  2.  The  particu- 
lar individual  houses:  Libnites  from  Qershon. 
Hebronites  from  Kohath,  Mahlites  and  Mushites 
from  Merari,  the  Korhites  likewise  from  Kohath. 
3.  We  notice  a  significant  fact  which  forms  the 
central  point  in  this  narrative,  and  has  occasioned 
some  difficulty.  Kohalh's  son  is  called  Amram, 
the  father  of  Aaron,  Moses,  and  Miriam  bears 
the  same  name.  This  illustrious  family  is  through 
the  identity  of  names  brought  back  closely  to  its 
ancestor  Levi.  [The  recurrence  of  the  same 
names  constitutes  no  difficulty.  But  Jochebed 
could  not  have  been  the  daughter  of  Levi  in  the 
strict  sense.  Generations  have  come  and  gone 
between  Levi  and  the  mother  of  Moses.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Levi  in  the  sense  that  she  was  a 
descendant.  The  term  does  not  necessarily  de- 
termine the  nearness  of  the  relation.  The  words 
her  mother  are  correctly  supplied  by  our  trans- 
lators. The  subject  is  wanting,  and  as  Keil 
holds,  "  must  be  derived  from  the  verb  itself." 
The  other  constructions — "  who  was  born ;  Vulg. 
Onkelos;  Syr.:  "whom  his  wife  bare;"  Jarchi, 
Aben-Ezra — seem  forced  or  inconsistent  with  the 
text. — A.  G.]  4.  The  sons  of  Aaron  come  out 
into  great  prominence.  The  entire  sum  of  the 
Levites  from  a  month  old  and  upward  was 
23,000. 

Vers.  63-65.  Jehovah's  penalty  had  been  ful- 
filled ;  the  old  generation,  with  the  exception  of 
Caleb  and  Joshua,  had  all  passed  away;  i.e.,  of 


course  those  only  who  were  more  than  twenty 
years  of  age  when  the  earlier  mustering  occurred. 
[See  Deut.  ii.  14,  15.  The  entire  geueration  of 
warriors,  those  who  were  twenty  years  and  up- 
ward, had  perished  before  Israel  crossed  the  Ze- 
red ;  but  the  fact  that  the  penal  sentence  had  been 
thus  carried  out  comes  in  fitly  here,  when  the  new 
generation  has  just  been  mustered, — A.  G.] 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

The  new  numbering  of  the  people  represents 
the  importance  of  preserving  and  renewing  con- 
stantly the  registers  of  the  people  by  the  church 
and  the  state.  Statistics  in  its  nobler  sense  and 
purpose. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

The  new  generation  and  society  spring  up  over 
the  graves  of  the  old.  The  life  which  has  been 
saved  and  purified  comes  out  more  fully  and 
grandly  after  the  death  penalties  had  been  exe- 
cuted. Cultured  society  should  ever  be  on  its 
guard  and  protect  itself,  even  in  the  conscious- 
ness of  its  condition  and  strength.  It  is  a  sad 
condition  of  society  when  the  standing  of  its 
members  is  entirely  lost,  either  in  the  world  or 
in  the  wilderness.  The  religious  and  moral  im- 
port of  the  census. 


FOURTH  SECTION. 

The  Preservation  of  the  family  Life,  and  the  elevation  of  "Woman  by  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  fights  of  Female  Heirs  (the  Daughters  of  Zelophehad). 

Chapter  XXVIL  1-11. 

1  Then  came  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad,  the  son  of  Hepher,  the  son  of  Gilead, 
the  son  of  Machir,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  of  the  families  of  Manasseh  the  son  of  Jo- 
seph :  and  these  are  the  names  of  his  daughters ;  Mahlah,  Noah,  and  Hoglah,  and 

2  Milcah,  and  Tirzah.  And  they  stood  before  Moses,  and  before  Eleazar  the  priest, 
and  before  the  princes  and  all  the  congregation,  by  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 

3  the  congregation,  saying,  Our  father  died  in  the  wilderness,  and  he  was  not  in  the 
company  of  them  that  gathered  themselves  together  against  the  Lord  in  the  com- 

4  pany  of  Korah  ;  but  died  in  his  own  sin,  and  had  no  sons.  Why  should  the  name 
of  our  father  be  Vlone  away  from  among  his  family,  because  he  hath  no  son  ?     Give 

5  unto  us  therefore  a  possession  amongr   the   brethren  of  our  father.     And  Moses 


a  possession 


brought  their  cause  before  the  Lord. 


6,  7  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  The  daughters  of  Zelophehad  speak 
right :  thou  shalt  surely  give  them  a  possession  of  an  inheritance  among  their  fa- 
ther's brethren ;  and  thou  shalt  cause  the  inheritance  of  their  father  to  pass  unto 

8  them.     And  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying.  If  a  man  die,  and 

9  have  no  son,  then  ye  shall  cause   his  inheritance  to  pass  unto  his  daughter.     And 
10  if  he  have  no  daughter,  then  ye  shall  give  his  inheritance  unto  his  brethren.     And 


154 


NUMBERS. 


if  he  have  no  brethren,  then  ye  shall  give  his  inheritance  unto  his  father's  brethren. 
11  And  if  his  father  have  no  brethren,  then  ye  shall  give  his  inheritance  unto  his  kins- 
man that  is  next  to  him  of  his  family,  and  he  shall  possess  it :  and  it  shall  be  unto 
the  children  of  Israel  a  statute  of  judgment,  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

1  Heb.  diminuihed. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  4.  Lanse:  extinguished.    Keil:  cut  oflF,  cease.    Bunsen  :  withdrawn— A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

The  section  finds  its  legal  enlargement  and 
completion  in  chap,  xxxvi.  As  the  inalienable 
character  and  security  of  the  separate  tribes  is 
established  in  the  previous  section,  so  here  the 
sure  fixed  continuity  in  the  tribe  branches  or  fa- 
milies. But  in  all,  the  dominant  and  fundamental 
thought,  is  the  personal  dignity  and  worth  of  the 
imperishable  personal  name.  In  a  conditional 
sense  Canaan  shall  belong  to  the  people  forever, 
for  the  sake  of  the  name  of  Israel ;  the  heritage 
of  Judah  because  of  the  name  Judah ;  and  so 
also  every  branch  of  each  tribe's  inheritance,  for 
the  sake  of  the  name  of  the  ancestral  house,  or 
father's  house.  The  daughters  of  Zelophehad 
understand  the  direction  in  this  way,  and  speak 
not  for  themselves  particularly,  but  that  the 
memory  of  their  father  Zelophehad  may  be  pre- 
served in  a  corresponding  inheritance. 

Yet  in  so  doing  they  act  indirectly  for  them- 
selves, i.  e.,  for  their  own  womanly  dignity.  They 
establish  the  claim  that  a  family  name  could  be 
preserved  through  a  female  generation  merely — 
that  in  a  conditional  method  female  heirs  could 
represent  and  take  the  place  of  male.  They  thus 
secured  the  law  with  respect  to  the  inheritance 
of  daughters,  and  with  it  a  significant  elevation 
of  woman  in  her  social  dignity ;  although  it  did 
not  amount  to  an  equality  with  man.  Their 
common  and  confident  appearance  before  Moses, 
before  the  high-priest,  the  elders  and  the  whole 
congregation,  was  itself  an  act  of  true  moral  ele- 
vation, which  must  have  had  a  lasting  effect,  and 
therefore  they  well  deserved  to  have  their  names 
rescued  from  oblivion,  by  a  double  record  here 
and  in  chup.  xxxvi.  10:  Mahlah,  Noah,  and 
Hoglah,  and  Milcah,  and  Tirzah. 

That  the  law  of  inheritance  was  still  in  a  form- 
ing state  was  owing  doubtless  to  the  fact,  that  in 
the  so-called  father-houses  the  patriarchal  cus- 
toms, the  right  of  destination  exercised  by  the 
patriarchal  family  head,  modified  perhaps  by  the 
views  of  the  family  council,  were  still  to  a  large 
extent  preserved.  Thus  here  there  is  nothing 
said  as  to  the  right  of  inheritance  of  daughters 
when  there  are  sons  also;  and  the  contingency 
of  a  daughter  carrying  her  inheritance  over  into 
another  tribe  is  left  unprovided  for,  until  the  re- 
strictions and  limitations  are  fixed  in  chap,  xxxvi. 
The  very  question  whether  there  was  any  right 
of  inheritance  for  females  was  still  so  novel  that 
even  Moses  felt  constrained  to  seek  a  special  de- 
cision upon  it  from  the  Lord  (ver.  5).  These 
daughters  surely  had  the  purpose  to  preserve 
the  memory  of  their  father's  house  through 
their  possessions,  i.  e.,  by  taking  husbands  only 


on  the  condition  that  the  sons  who  might  be  born 
should  be  designated  as  descendants  of  their 
father  Zelophehad.  The  provision,  however,  in 
chap,  xxxvi.  seems  to  prove  that  this  was  not  the 
universal  custom,  as  Keil,  Knobel  [Bible  Com.  : 
suppose,  citing  as  practical  examples  of  it  Jarha 
(1  Chron.  ii.  34),  Jair  (chap,  xxxii.  41 ;  Deut,  iii. 
14),  Barzillai  (Ezra  ii.  61;  Neh.  vii.  63).  The 
fuller  explication  of  the  law,  however,  as  to  the 
inheritance  of  daughters,  which,  as  an  ordinance 
of  God,  fixed  definitely  the  status  of  the  right, 
truly  led  to  this  custom.  If  the  sire  of  a  house 
die  without  sons,  his  inheritance  passed  to  his 
daughters.  But  in  what  sense  the  following  re- 
gulations reveal:  the  heir  next  in  succession 
shall  be  his  brother,  etc.  In  any  case  the  inhe- 
ritance must  remain  in  the  tribe.  [Bible  Com.: 
"A  father,  whether  sons  had  been  born  to  him 
or  not,  had  the  power,  either  before  or  at  his 
death,  to  cause  part  of  his  estate  to  pass  to  a 
daughter;  in  which  case  her  husband  married 
into  her  family  rather  than  she  into  his,  and  the 
children  were  regarded  as  of  the  family  from 
which  the  estate  had  come.  Thus  Machir,  an- 
cestor of  Zelophehad,  although  he  had  a  son  Gi- 
lead,  left  also,  as  is  probable,  an  inheritance  to 
his  daughter,  the  wife  of  Hezron,  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  by  reason  of  which  their  descendants, 
among  whom  was  Jair,  were  reckoned  as  belong- 
ing to  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  (1  Chron.  ii.  21  sq.). 
Thus  Sheshan  also,  who  had  no  sons,  married 
his  daughter  to  his  Egyptian  servant  Jarha,  and 
so  had  by  them  a  long  line  of  posterity  (1  Chron. 
ii.  34  sq.).  Otiier  earlier  nations  had  like  cus- 
toms. The  daughters  of  Laban  complain  of 
"having  no  portion  or  inheritance  in  their  fa- 
ther's house"  (Gen.  xxxi.  14),  intimating  appa- 
rently that  Laban  might  have  given  them  such 
had  he  so  pleased,  and  thus  bound  their  husband 
by  ties  which  would  have  prevented  them  from 
leaving  his  father  in-law.  So  of  the  daughters 
of  Job  it  is  specially  noted  that  "their  father 
gave  them  inheritance  among  their  brethren" 
(Job  xliii.  15).— A.  G.] 

The  daughters  of  Zelophehad  based  their  de- 
mand upon  their  father's  right,  which  he  had 
not  forfeited.  He  was  not  in  the  company 
of  Korah,  but  died  in  his  own  sin  [i.e.,  the 
sin  which  he  had  committed  with  others  in  the 
wilderness,  and  for  which  he  died  without  enter- 
ing the  land  of  promise. — A.  G.]  His  destruction 
with  the  company  of  Korah  would  have  forfeited 
his  heritable  right,  but  since  he  died  in  his  own 
sin,  i.e.,  from  the  universal  connection  between 
sin  and  death,  he  was  on  the  same  level  with  all 
the  others.  Had  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad 
intended  to  hint  even,  that  he  had  through  special 
transgressions  hastened  his  death,  they  still  knew 


CHAP.  XXVII.  12-23. 


155 


well  that  that  had  involved  a  curse  which  rested 
npon  his  race.  Indeed  these  daughters  of  Zelophe- 
had  possessed  a  fair  faculty  for  doctrinal  discrimi- 
nations. Death  without  sin  going  before  it,  was  for 
them  at  any  rate  inconceivable.  For  the  law  of 
inheritance  among  other  Oriental  nations  see 
Knobel,  p.  Ifil;  and  J.  Selden,  de  succe.is.  ad  le- 
ges Uebr.  in  bona  defunctorurn^  Frankfort,  1645 
[also  Keil,  Archmol.',l  142,  Vol.  II.,  pp.  212,  213; 
and  Wines,  Laws  of  the  Hebrews. — A.  G.]. 


DOCTRINAL    AND    ETHICAL. 

The  vindication  of  the  right  of  inheritance 
for  daughters  shows  not  only  the  elevation  in 
dignity  and  honor  of  women  in  Israel,  but  also 
the  great  value  of  continued  and  preserved  ge- 
nealogies, the  dynamic  force  of  the  consecrated 
family  tree,  of  a  moral  nobility. 

[Wordsworth  :  Regard  these  women  as 
striking  examples  of  faith.     They  believe  that 


the  promised  land  would  be  inherited  by  Israel; 
and  also  of  the  working  of  God's  grace  perfect- 
ing itself  in  human  weakness,  and  cherishing 
the  "weak  things  of  this  world  to  confound  the 
mighty."— A.  G.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Their  renown.  Woman  also  shall  stand  up  for 
her  rights,  and  have  them  recognized.  The  ig- 
noring of  these  rights,  as  also  their  exaggeration. 
The  elevation  of  the  female  sex  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. Its  complete  restitution  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, The  dignity  and  glory  of  woman  con- 
sists in  the  inviolableness  of  her  domestic  desti- 
nation. ["They  discovered:  1.  A  strong  faith 
in  the  power  and  promise  of  God.  2.  An  earnest 
desire  for  a  place  and  name  in  the  land  of  pro- 
mise, which  was  a  type  of  heaven.  3.  A  true  re- 
spect and  honor  for  their  father."  Henry.] 


FIFTH   SECTION. 

The   Consecration   of  Joshua  introduced  by  the  announcement  of  the  death  of 
Moses,  with  reference  also  to  the  speedy  entrance  of  Israel  into  Canaan. 

Chapters  XXVII.  12-23. 

12  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Get  thee  up  into  this  mount  Abarim,  and  see 

13  the  land  which  I  have  given  unto  the  children  of  Israel.  And  when  thou  hast  seen 
it,  thou  also  shalt  be  gathered  unto  thy  people,  as  Aaron  thy  brother  was  gathered. 

14  For  ye  rebelled  against  my  commandment  in  the  desert  of  Zin,  in  the  strife  of  the 
congregation,  to  sanctify  me  at  the  water  before  their  eyes :  that  is  the  water  of 
Meribah  in  Kadesh  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin. 

15, 16     And  Moses  spake  unto  the  Lord,  saying,  Let  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the  spirits 

17  of  all  flesh,  set  a  man  over  the  congregation,  Which  may  go  out  before  them,  and 
which  may  go  in  before  them,  and  which  may  lead  them  out,  and  which  may 
bring  them  in ;  that  the  congregation  of  the  Lord  be  not  as  sheep  which  have  no 
shepherd. 

18  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Take  thee  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  a  man  in  whom 

19  is  the  spirit,  and  lay  thine  hand  upon  him  ;  And  set  him  before  Eleazar  the  priest, 

20  and  before  all  the  congregation  ;  and  give  him  a  charge  in  their  sight.  And  thou 
shalt  put  some  of  thine  honour  upon  him,  that  all  the  congregation  of  the  children 

21  of  Israel  may  be  obedient.  And  he  shall  stand  before  Eleazar  the  priest,  who  shall 
ask  counsel  for  him  after  the  judgment  of  Urim  before  the  Lord  :  at  his  word  shall 
they  go  out,  and  at  liis  word  they  shall  come  in,  both  he,  and  all  the  children  of  Is- 

22  rael  with  him,  even  all  the  congregation.  And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  commanded 
him :  and  he  took  Joshua,  and  set  him  before  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  before  all  the 

23  congregation :  And  he  laid  his  hands  upon  him  and  gave  him  a  charge,  as  the 
Lord  commanded  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  20.  Hearken,  without  the  object.    See  Ex.  vii.  16;  Isaiah  i.  19.    The  object  is  easily  supplied  from  th« 
context.— A.  G]. 


1 56 


NUMBERS. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

Deut.  xxxi. — xxxiv.  completes  this  section. 
It  is  clear  from  the  whole  context,  that  we  are 
not  dealing  here  with  two  successive  sections, 
but  with  one  having  two  closely  related  divisions ; 
and  that  the  first,  of  which  here,  the  command 
of  Jehovah  to  Moses  to  ascend  Mount  Nebo  be- 
fore his  end,  the  fulfilment  of  which  is  not  re- 
lated here,  serves  as  an  introduction  to  the  con- 
Becration  of  Joshua  as  the  successor  of  Moses  (in 
his  position  as  leader  of  the  hosts,  (hough  not  in 
his  prophetic  office),  and  indeed  with  express 
reference  to  the  approaching  entrance  into  Ca- 
naan. [The  command  stands  here  probably  in 
its  natural  and  chronological  order.  It  follows 
naturally  upon  the  regulations  as  to  the  inheri- 
tance of  the  laud.  It  was  given  to  bring  to  the 
mind  of  Moses,  afresh,  what  he  had  known  be- 
fore, that  he  was  not  to  lead  the  people  into  that 
land,  that  his  career  was  near  its  close,  and  to 
stimulate  him  to  do  all  that  he  could,  while  he 
was  still  living,  to  provide  for  the  welfare  of  his 
people  in  the  future.  The  first  and  most  essen- 
tial thing  was  the  choice  and  consecration  of  his 
successor. — A.  G.]. 

Vers.  12-14.  Moses  is  commanded   to  ascend 
Mount  Nebo,  in  order  to  finish  his  work  with  the 
view  of  Canaan  before  his  death.     Here  again  he 
is  reminded  of  his  sin  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin, 
in  which  also  Aaron  shared.     The  workings  of 
passion,  which  in  its  inward  violence  and  agita- 
tion may  have,  to   some   extent,    shortened   his 
life,  seem  to  have  been  concentrated  in  that  pas- 
sionate act.     The  command  here  is  left,  somewhat 
indefinite.     Get  thee  up  into  this  mountain 
Abarim.     Subsequently  it  becomes  more  defi- 
nite.    Abarim  becomes  Pisgah,  and  Pisgah  Nebo. 
Comp.  Cow.,  chap,   xxxiv.,  the   Bible   Lexicons, 
and   chap.  xx.    12.     [The    double   Ti^*<|  is  not 
causal,   but  comparative,  indicating  that  as  he 
had  sinned  with  Aaron  he  must  die  also,  with 
only  the  sight  of  the  promised  land  ;  or  that  as 
they  had  sinned,  they  must  bear  the  penalty  of 
that  transgression.     Hirsch  draws  the  distinc- 
tion between  the  occurrence  at  Rephidim  and  at 
Kadesh,  not  only  that  the  one  was  at  the  begin- 
ning and  the  other  at  the  close  of  their  wander- 
ings, but  that  at  Rephidim  the  water  was  to  flow 
upon  the  blows  with  the  rod  of  Moses,  while  at 
Kadesh  it  was  the  word  of  Moses  which  was  to 
open  the  fountain.     When  Moses  used  the  rod 
he  did  not  sanctify  Jehovah.     lie  failed  to  re- 
cognize  the  efficacy  of  the  word,  and  that  they 
were  now  at  the  transition  point,  passing  from 
the  immediate  supernatural  divine  support   and 
security,   into   the   ordinary,  natural   method   of 
life.     In  His  view  Moses  and  Aaron  had  reached 
the  end  of  their  course  ;  they  had  led  the  people 
through    this    more   exclusively  miraculous  pe- 
riod, and  there  removal  therefore  while  it  was  as 
a  punLthment  for  their  sin,  was  natural  and  ne- 
cessary also,  their  specific  work  being  finished. 
—A.  G.]. 

Vers.  15-2.3.  A  preliminary  account  of  the 
consecration  of  Josliua.  Although  Moses  had 
for  a  long  time  previously  been  familiar  with  the 
thought  that  Joshua,  already  for  nearly  forty 
years  hia  military  captain,  would  at  one  time  re- 


place him  in  that  capacity  as  his  successor,  he 
did  not  venture  with  his  human  estimation  and 
choice,  to  anticipate  the  divine  decision.  It  was, 
too,  in  full  accordance  with  his  noble  self-forget- 
ful disposition,  to  ask  for  the  appointment  of  his 
successor. 

Ver.  16.  Let  the  LORD,  the  God  of  the 
spirits  of  all  flesh  set  a  man  over  the  con- 
gregation.— All  flesh  has  the  same  likeness, 
but  the  spirits  of  all  flesh  are  endlessly  different. 
God  alone  knows  and  tries  the  spirits,  and  there- 
fore He  alone  selects  the  right  persons.  In  such 
an  emergency,  too.  His  decision  alone  is  satis- 
factory. Comp.  xvi.  22.  The  destined  man  must 
be  the  shepherd  or  the  leader,  the  prince  or  cap- 
tain of  the  people,  since  the  people  must  not  be 
without  a  shepherd. 

[Ver.  17.  Go  in  and  out  as  descriptive  of 
the  private  life,  while  to  lead  out  and  lead  in 
designates  his  public  official  walk ;  one  who  in 
his  private  personal,  and  in  his  official  life, 
should  be  an  example  to  the  people,  and  so  be 
fitted  to  direct  and  influence  them  in  their  pri- 
vate and  public  obligations. — A.  G.]. 

Ver.  18.  Upon  this  Jehovah  designates  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun  as  the  man  whom  He  has  chosen. 
For  in  him  is  the  Spirit. — Spirit:  Knobel, 
"Insight  and  wisdom."  Keil  :  "The  higher 
power  breathed  into  his  soul  by  God,  which 
quickens  and  shapes  his  moral  and  religious 
life,"  and  here  "  the  spiritual  qualifications  ne- 
cessary for  the  office  which  was  to  be  entrusted 
to  him."  The  Spirit  however  is  a  developed  ful- 
ness of  life,  here  with  reference  to  his  particular 
calling  as  a  leader  of  the  host. 

Moses,  however,  must  consecrate  him  before 
Eleazar  the  priest  and  the  whole  congregation, 
by  the  imposition  of  his  hands  (transferring  his 
official  dignity)  and  give  him  a  charge,  the 
instructions  which  were  connected  with  this  or- 
dination service.  [The  spiritual  gifts  which  he 
possessed  did  not  dispense  with  the  necessity 
for  the  external  consecration,  nor  would  this 
consecration  have  been  of  any  avail  without  the 
gifts.— A.  G.]. 

Ver.   20.    And    thou  shalt   put  some   of 
thine  honor  (TIH)   upon  him.     Moses  could 
confer  upon  him  his  princely  or  his  judicial  of- 
fice, but  not  the  prophetic  calling ;  for  that  call- 
ing Jehovah  reserves  to  Himself,  and  it  could  not 
be  made    an    official    institution.     Elijah  could 
initiate    Elisha    into    the   prophetic    order    and 
school,  but  he   could  not  make  him  a  prophet. 
Eleazar  was  not  a  prophet,  although   as   high- 
priest  he  administered  Urim  and  Thummim,  the 
substitute   for    prophetic  decisions.      [The  emi- 
nence and  authority  of  Moses  were  not  to  be  fully 
transferred  to  Joshua,  but  in  part.     He  became 
vice-leader.     Bible  Com.:     The  transference  of 
this  honor  to  Josliua  is  not  parallel  to  the  com- 
munication of  the  spirit  which  rested  upon  Moses 
to  the  seventy  elders,  chap.  xi.  17,  25  ;  for  though 
Moses  in  elevating  Joshua  to  his  new  office,  did 
not  part  with  any  of  his  own  spiritual  gifts,  he 
yet   necessarily   shared  henceforward  with  an- 
other that  power  which  hitherto   he  had  exer- 
cised alone. — A.  G.]. 

Vers.  21,  22.  By  these  decisions  Joshua  must 
direct  his  steps  when  he  needed  divine  direction. 
The  oracle  is   here   designated   merely   by  the 


CHAP.  XXVIII.  1— XXIX.  40. 


157 


Urim,  because  in  the  administration  of  men  so 
consecrated  it  was  pre-eminently  Urim,  the  true 
source  of  light.  [Moses  had  direct  access  lo 
God,  Joshua  must  use  the  means  instituted  to 
meet  such  cases  of  doubt  or  perplexity — the 
High-priest  and  the  Urim. — A.  G.]. 

Ver.  23.  The  consecration  of  Joshua  was  car- 
ried out  in  accordance  with  the  prescribed  regu- 
lations, as  it  is  more  fully  related  in  Dent.  Keil: 
"  All  tne  congregation  denotes  the  whole  body 
of  heads  of  the  people,  or  the  college  of  elders, 
representing  the  coagregation  and  conducting 
its  affairs."  But  beyond  doubt  the  commander 
would  be  presented  to  his  whole  army  at  his  in- 
stallation, and  it  is  expressly  said  in  Deut.  xxxi. 
7,  before  the  eyes  of  all  Israel. 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

[It  is  not  keenness  of  insight,  or  large  culture 
or  wide  experience  in  affairs,  but  the  gifts  of  the 
Spirit  which  qualify  men  for  high  official  duties. 
Endowments,  native  or  acquired,  are  not  dis- 
pensed with,  but  neither  are  they  sufficient.  The 
crowning  qualification  is  the  Spirit,  given  by 
Him  in  whom  the  Spirit  dwelleth  without  mea- 
sure.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

WoKDSWOKTH  finds  a  typical  meaning  in  the 
narrative.     Mosea  the  law,  and  Joshua  Christ. 


The  law  brings  men  to  the  border  of  the  promised 
blessing,  Christ  gives  them  actual  possession,  etc. 
God  will  not  leave  His  people  without  a  shepherd. 
The  ascent  upon  the  mountain  Abarim.  From 
a  mountain,  the  servants  of  God  take  their  de- 
parture from  the  earth,  although  for  the  most  part 
in  a  spiritual  sense  :  Jacob,  Gen.  xlv.  27  and  xlix. 
Aaron  upon  Mount  Hor,  Moses  upon  Nebo,  Jo- 
shua at  Shechem,  Elijah,  Christ  from  the  mount 
of  Olives.  Moses  a  type  also  in  the  arrangement 
for  his  departure.  Jehovah  as  the  God  of  the 
spirits  of  all  flesh.  Behind  the  uniformity  of 
the  flesh  and  outward  appearance,  there  lies  con- 
cealed an  endless  variety  of  individual  spirits 
which  Jehovah  alone  can  estimate  according  to 
their  true  worth  and  destination.  The  spirits 
of  men,  their  spiritual  characteristic  features, 
are  veiled  by  the  external  manifestation.  Still 
they  will  be  brought  to  the  light,  a.  by  the  Spi- 
rit ;  b.  by  the  age ;  c.  in  the  last  day  or  by  the 
judgment.  The  consecration  of  Joshua  and  the 
determination  of  his  calling.  [Henky:  God  tells 
Moses  of  his  faults,  although  a  faithful,  honorable 
and  favored  servant.  He  must  hear  of  his  faults 
and  others  likewise.  God  will  show  His  displea- 
sure against  sin,  even  when  in  those  who  are 
nearest  and  dearest  to  Him."  The  mitigation  in 
the  death  of  Moses.  1.  He  leaves  his  people  pro- 
vided for.  2.  He  has  the  sight  of  the  promised 
land.  3.  His  death  is  being  gathered  to  hia 
people. — A.  G.]. 


SIXTH  SECTION. 

The  renewed  and  enlarged  sacrificial  institutions,  with  reference  to  the  settlement 

in  Canaan. 


1, 


10 


Chapter  XXVIII.   1— XXIX.  40.     (Comp.  Chap.  XV.  1-31). 


2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Command  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  say  unto  them,  My  offering  and  my  bread  for  my  sacrifices  made  by  fire,  jor  a 
sweet  savour^  unto  me,  shall  ye  observe  to  offer  unto  me  in  their  due  season.  And 
thou  shalt  say  unto  them,  This  is,  the  offering  made  by  fire  which  ye  shall  offer  unto 
the  Lord;  two  lambs  of  the  first  year  wdthout  spot  day  by  day ,2 /or  a  continual 
burnt  offering.  The  one  lamb  shalt  thou  offer  in  the  morning,  and  the  other  lamb 
shalt  thou  offer  at  ^even  ;  And  a  tenth  'part  of  an  ephah  of  flour  for  a  meat  offer- 
ing, mingled  with  the  fourth  part  of  a  hin  of  beaten  oil.  It  is  a  continual  burnt 
offering,  which  was  ordained  in  mount  Sinai  for  a  sweet  savour,  a  sacrifice  made 

7  by  fire  unto  the  Lord.  And  the  drink  offering  thereof  sAa/^/  be  the  fourth  part  of 
a  hin  for  the  one  lamb  :  in  the  holy  place  shalt  thou  cause  the  strong  wine  to  be 

8  poured  unto  the  Lord  for  a  drink  offering.  And  the  other  lamb  shalt  thou  offer 
at  even :  as  the  meat  offering  of  the  morning,  and  as  the  drink  offering  thereof, 
thou  shalt  offer  it,  a  sacrifice  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

9  And  on  the  sabbath  day  two  lambs  of  the  first  year  without  spot,  and  two  tenth 
deals  of  flDur /or  a  meat  offering,  mingled  with  oil,  and  the  drink  offering  thereof: 
This  is  the  burnt  offering  of  every  sabbath,  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering, 
and  his  drink  offering. 


158  NUMBERS. 


11  And  in  the  beginnings  of  your  months  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt  offering  unto  the 
Lord  ;  two  young  bullocks,  and  one  ram,  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year  without 

12  spot ;  And  three  tenth  deals  of  flour  for  a  meat  oflering,  mingled  with  oil,  for  one 
bullock  ;  and  two  tenth  deals  of  flour /or  a  meat  offering,  mingled  with  oil,  for  one 

13  ram;  And  a  several  tenth  deal  of  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  unto 
one  lamb ;  for  a  burnt  offering  of  a  sweet  savour,  a  sacrifice  made  by  fire  unto  the 

14  Lord.  And  their  drink  ofieriugs  shall  be  half  a  hin  of  wine  unto  a  bullock,  and 
the  third  part  of  a  hin  unto  a  ram,  and  a  fourth  part  of  a  hin  unto  a  lamb :  this  is 

15  the  burnt  oflering  of  every  month  throughout  the  months  of  the  year.  And  one 
kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering  unto  the  Lord  shall  be  offered,  beside  the  con- 

16  tinual  burnt  offering,  and  his  drink  offering.     And  in  the  fourteenth  day  of  the 

17  first  month  is  the  passover  of  the  Lord.     And  in  the  fifteenth  day  of  this  month 

18  is  the  feast :  seven  days  shall  unleavened  bread  be  eaten.     In  the  first  day  shall  he 

19  a  holy  convocation ;  ye  shall  do  no  manner  of  servile  work  therein :  But  ye  shall 
offer  a  sacrifice  made  by  fire  for  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord  ;  two  young  bul- 
locks, and  one  ram,  and  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year :  they  shall  be  unto  you 

20  without  blemish.  And  their  meat  offerings  shall  be  of  flour  mingled  with  oil ; 
three  tenth  deals  shall  ye  offer  for  a  bullock,  and  two  tenth  deals  for  a  ram : 

21  A  several  tenth  deal  shalt  thou  offer  for  every  lamb,  throughout  the  seven  lambs : 
22,  23     And  one  goat  for  a  sin  offering,  to  make  an   atonement  for  you.     Ye  shall 

offer  these  beside  the  burnt  offering  in  the  morning,  which  is  for  a  continual  burnt 

24  offering.  After  this  manner  ye  shall  offer  daily,  throughout  the  seven  days,  the 
meat  of  the  sacrifice  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  ;  it  shall  be 

25  offered  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  his  drink  offering.  And  on  the 
seventh  day  ye  shall  have  a  holy  convocation;  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work. 

26  Also  in  the  day  of  the  firstfruits,  when  ye  bring  a  new  meat  offering  unto  the 
Lord,  after  your  weeks  be  out,  ye  shall  have  a  holy  convocation ;  ye  shall  do  no 

27  servile  work  :  But  ye  shall  offer  the  burnt  offering  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  ; 

28  two  young  bullocks,  one  ram,  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year ;  And  their  meat  offer- 
ing of  flour  mingled  with  oil,  three  tenth  deals  unto  one  bullock,  two  tenth  deals 

29  unto  one  ram.     A  several  tenth  deal  unto  one  lamb,  throughout  the  seven  lambs ; 
30,  31  And  one  kid  of  the  goats  to  make  an  atonement  for  you.     Ye  shall  offer  them 

beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  his  meat  offering,  (they  shall  be  unto  you 
without  blemish,)  and  their  drink  offerings. 

Chap.  XXIX.  1  And  in  the  seventh  month,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  ye  shall 
have  a  holy  convocation ;  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work :  it  is  a  day  of  blowing  the 

2  trumpets  unto  you.  And  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt  offering  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the 
Lord  ;  one  young  bullock,  one  ram,  and  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year  without 

3  blemish :  And  their  meat  offering  shall  he  of  flour  mingled  with  oil,  three  tenth 

4  deals  for  a  bullock,  and  two  tenth  deals  for  a  ram.     And  one  tenth  deal  for  one 

5  lamb,  throughout  the  seven  lambs :  And  one  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering,  to 

6  make  an  atonement  for  you :  Beside  the  burnt  offering  of  the  month,  and  his  meat 
offering,  and  the  daily  burnt  offering,  and  his  meat  offering,  and  their  drink  offer- 
ings, according  unto  their  manner,  for  a  sweet  savour,  a  sacrifice  made  by  fire  unto 
the  Lord. 

7  And  ye  shall  have  on  the  tenth  day  of  this  seventh  month  a  holy  convocation  ; 

8  and  ye  shall  afllict  your  souls:  ye  shall  not  do  any  work  therein:  But  ye  shall 
offer  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord  for  a  sweet  savour ;  one  young  bullock,  one 
ram,  and  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year ;  they  shall  be  unto  you  without  blemish. 

9  And  their  meat  offering  shall  he  of  flour  mingled  with  oil,  three  tenth  deals  to  a 

10  bullock,  and  two  tenth  deals  to   one  ram,  A   several  tenth  deal  for  one  lamb, 

11  throughout  the  seven  lambs :  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering ;  beside  tlj« 
sin  offering  of  atonement,  and  the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  the  meat  offering 
of  it,  and  their  drink  offerings. 


CHAP.  XXVIII.  1— XXIX.  40.  169 

12  And  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  seventh  month  ye  shall  have  a  holy  convocation ; 
ye  shall  do  no  servile  work,  and  ye  shall  keep  a  feast  unto  the  Lord  seven  days : 

13  And  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt  offering,  a  sacrifice  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto 
the  Lord  ;  thirteen  young  bullocks,  two  rams,  and  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first  year ; 

14  they  shall  be  without  blemish  :   And  their  meat  offering  shall  be  of  flour  mingled 
with  oil,  three  tenth  deals  unto  every  bullock  of  the  thirteen   bullocks,  two  tenth 

15  deals  to  each  ram  of  the  two  rams,  And  a  several  tenth  deal  to  each  lamb  of  the 

16  fourteen  lambs :   And  one  kid  of  the  goats  jor  a  sin  offering ;  beside  the  continual 
burnt  offering,  his  meat  offering,  and  his  drink  offering. 

17  And  on  the  second  day  ye  shall  offer  twelve  young  bullocks,  two  rams,^  fourteen 

18  lambs  of  the  first  year  without  spot :  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  oflTer- 
ings  for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  the  lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their 

19  number,  after  the  manner :  And  one  kid  of  the  goats  Jor  a  sin  offering ;  beside  the 
continual  burnt  offering,  and  the  meat  offering  thereof,  and  their  drink  offerings. 

20  And  on  the  third  day  eleven  bullocks,  two  rams,  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first  year 

21  without  blemish :  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offerings  for  the  bull- 
ocks, for  the  rams,  and  for  the  lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the 

22  manner:  And  one  goat  for  a  sin  offering ;  beside  the  continual  burnt  oflTering,  and 
his  meat  offering,  and  his  drink  offering. 

23  And  on  the  fourth  day  ten  bullocks,  two  rams,  and  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first 

24  year  without  blemish :   Their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offerings  for  the  bull- 
ocks, for  the  rams,  and  for  the  lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the 

25  manner :  And  one  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering ;  beside  the  continual  burnt 
offering,  his  meat  offering,  and  his  drink  offering. 

26  And  the  fifth  day  nine  bullocks,  two  rams,  and  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first  year 

27  without  spot :  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offerings  for  the  bullocks, 
for  the  rams,  and  for  the  lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the  man- 

28  ner :  And  one  goat  for  a  sin  oflTering ;  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  his 
meat  offering,  and  his  drink  offering. 

29  And  on  the  sixth  day  eight  bullocks,  two  rams,  and  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first 

30  year  without  blemish :  And  their  meat  oflTering  and  their  drink  offerings  for  the 
bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  the  lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after 

31  the  manner:  And  one  goat  for  a  sin  offering;  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering, 
his  meat  offering,  and  his  drink  oflTering. 

32  And  on  the  seventh  day  seven  bullocks,  two  rams,  and  fourteen  lambs  of  the 

33  first  year  without  blemish ;  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offerings  for 
the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  the  lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number, 

34  after  the  manner :  And  one  goat /or  a  sin  offering,  beside  the  continual  burnt  oflTer- 
ing, his  meat  oflTering,  and  his  drink  offering. 

35  On  the  eighth  day  ye  shall  have  a  solemn  assembly  :  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work 

36  therein :  But  ye  shall  oflfer  a  burnt  offering,  a  sacrifice  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  sa- 
vour unto  the  Lord  :  one  bullock,  one  ram,  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year  without 

37  blemish  :  Their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offerings  for  the  bullock,  for  the  ram, 

38  and  for  the  lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the  manner  :  And  one 
goat /or  a  sin  oflTering;  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  his  meat  offering, 

39  and  his  drink  offering.  These  things  ye  shall  Mo  unto  the  Lord  in  your  set  feasts, 
beside  your  vows,  and  your  freewill  offerings,  for  your  burnt  offerings,  and  for  your 

40  meat  offerings,  and  for  your  drink  offerings,  and  for  your  peace  offerings.  And 
Moses  told  the  children  of  Israel  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses. 

1  Marg  for  a  sweet  savour  of  mp  rest.  *  Marg.  In  a  day. 

•  Marg.  between  the  two  evenings.  *  Marg.  offer. 


160 


NUMBERS. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 
[Ver.  35.  iTl]f  J?  from  "^liy,  to  close,  shut  up.    The  assembly  which  closes  up  the  whole  cycle. — A.  G.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

That  this  conclusion  of  the  sacrificial  ordi- 
nances relates  definitely  to  the  settlement  in  Ca- 
naan, and  thus  forms  the  intensified  repetition 
of  the  law  of  offerings  in  chap,  xv.,  is  evident 
from  the  prominent  significance  which  is  attri- 
buted to  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  as  the  closing 
feast,  at  which  the  blessedness  and  the  joy  of 
the  settlement  in  the  land  of  promise  was  cele- 
brated, as  if  all  the  feasts  culminated  in  this  fes- 
tival commemorative  of  the  sacred  and  glorious 
heritage.  See  chap.  xxix.  12-40,  with  which 
belongs  also  the  preliminary  solemnities  on  the 
day  of  atonement  (vers.  1-6).  The  series  of  sac- 
rificial regulations  closes  in  this  form :  Ex.  xxiii. 
14-17:  xxix.  38-42;  xxxi.  12-17;  Lev.  xxiii.; 
Num.  XV.  1-12. 

1 .  The  basis  of  the  feasts,  the  sacred  times, 
were  arranged  according  to  the  sacred  number  se- 
ven, the  Sabbath  in  various  senses  and  emphasis 
(the  weekly,  monthly  Sabbath,  etc.)  foretokening 
the  eternal  rest  of  God.  a.  The  basis  of  the 
feasts.  1)  The  every  day.  2)  The  Sabbath 
day.  3)  The  first  day  of  the  month  or  the  new 
moon.  4)  The  Pentecost  which  was  reckoned 
as  the  Sabbath  of  weeks.  5)  The  first  day  or 
new  moon  of  the  seventh  month,  b.  The  feasts. 
1)  P.issover  and  unleavened  bread.  2)  The 
feast  of  weeks  or  harvest,  Pentecost.  3)  The 
day  of  atonement  and  feast  of  tabernacles,  or  the 
feast  of  fruit  harvest  and  vintage.  More  mi- 
nute specifications.  The  every  day  morning  and 
evening  sacrifices,  sanctified  to  Jehovah,  desig- 
nates all  time  as  holy  time.  The  Sabbath,  the 
fundamental  type  of  all  holy  time,  comes  out 
prominently  also  in  the  eight  day  feasts.  The 
new  moons  win  now  a  greater  significance  with 
respect  to  the  civil  relations  of  life  in  Canaan 
(especially  seed  time  and  harvest).  Later  it  at- 
tained the  dignity  of  a  peculiar  feast  day.  [Keil 
referred  to  by  Lange  here  holds  "  that  the  new 
moon  grew  more  and  more  into  a  feast  day,  trade 
was  suspended  (Amos  viii.  5)  the  pious  Israelite 
.|<ought  instruction  from  the  prophets  (2  Kings 
iv.  23)  many  families  and  households  presented 
yearly  thank  oflTtirings  (1  Sam.  xx.  6,  29)  and  at 
a  still  later  period  the  most  devout  abstained 
from  fasting  (Judith  viii.  6),  consequently  it  is 
frequently  referred  to  by  the  prophets  as  a  feast 
resembling  the  Sabbath  (Isa.  i.  13  ;  Hos.  ii.  13: 
Ezek.  xlvi.  1)]." 

The  first  day  of  the  seventh  month  was  cele- 
brated as  the  great  Sabbath  (of  months)  with 
the  sounding  of  trumpets.  It  was  the  Sabbath 
of  the  new  moon,  as  the  peculiar  Sabbath,  the 
Sabbath  of  days.  The  Paschal  feast  rose  above 
all  the  other  feasts  as  the  great  Old  Testament 
sacramental  solemnity;  as  a  year  feast  proper 
it  was  combined  with  the  feast  of  unleavened 
bread— the  two  together  constituting  a  double 
feast.  The  great  day  of  atonement  also  as  a 
preliminary  solemnity,  with  the  feast  of  taber- 


nacles made  a  double  feast,  but  which  in  itself 
like  the  Passover  transcended  the  other  feasts, 
aud  even  the  Passover  itself,  in  its  foreshadow- 
ings  of  the  future.  The  isolated  position  of  the 
Pentecost  has  already  been  alluded  to.  It  should 
be  observed,  however,  that  the  Pentecost  is  not 
only  a  harvest  feast,  but  the  Sabbath  of  seven 
weeks,  and  thus  the  seven-fold  intensified  day 
of  rest.  The  seven  day  feasts  of  unleavened 
bread  and  Tabernacles,  aside  from  the  Sabbath 
occurring  within  them,  were  begun  and  closed 
with  a  holy  convocation  and  Sabbath  rest.  To 
the  seven  days  of  the  Tabernacles'  feast  there 
was  added  the  riTlf-k'  '^  which  the  Sabbath  rest 
and  the  holy  convocation  of  the  seventh  day  were 
transferred. 

As  to  the  cumulation  of  offerings  it  is  to  be 
observed  that  the  daily  ofl'erings  were  not  sus- 
pended for  the  Sabbath  offerings,  or  for  the  feast 
offerings,  but  went  before  those  (chap,  xxviii.  9, 
10;  and  vers.  23  and  31).  So  also  the  Sabbath 
offerings  were  not  suspended  by  the  feast  or  the 
new  moon  offerings,  nor  were  the  new  moon  of- 
ferings at  the  feast  of  the  seventh  new  moon 
(xxix.  6)  and  generally  no  universal  offering, 
for  these  which  were  more  particular  or  spe- 
cial. 

The  fundamental  form  of  all  the  sacrifices  is 
throughout  the  burnt-offering,  i.  e.,  the  offering 
which  represents  symbolically  and  typically  the 
offering  up  of  the  person  to  Jehovah.  There  is 
no  word  of  a  sin  offering  in  the  daily  or  Sabbath 
sacrifices.  In  the  monthly  sacrifice  a  sin  offer- 
ing is  added  as  in  remembrance  of  sins  commit- 
ted in  the  past,  a  kid  of  the  goats  (xxviii.  15), 
and  so  also  from  the  first  day  of  the  feast  of  un- 
leavened bread  a  goat  is  offered  daily  (xxviii. 
12-24),  for  a  sin  offering.  At  Pentecost  (30)  at 
the  seventh  new  moon,  on  the  great  day  of  atone- 
ment, one  kid  of  the  goats,  beside  the  sin  offer- 
ing of  atonement  (xxix.  11)  and  lastly  on  every 
day  of  the  Feast  of  tne  Tabernacles  a  sin  offering 
was  part  of  the  service.  AVith  the  bloody  offer- 
ings there  were  connected  in  precise  or  definite 
relations  food  and  drink  offerings. 

Table  of  the  offerings.  1.  For  every  day  chap, 
xxviii.  1-8,  see  Exod.  xxix.  38.  2.  For  the 
Sabbath,  vers.  9,  10,  the  double  of  the  daily  of- 
fering tliroughout.  For  the  new  moon,  vers. 
11-15.  The  food  and  drink  offerings  do  not  re- 
late to  the  bloody  offerings  as  a  whole,  but  dis- 
tributively.  They  are:  a,  two  bullocks  and  with 
each,  three  tenth  deals  of  flour  mingled  with 
oil  for  a  food  offering,  and  half  a  bin  of  wine  for 
a  drink  offering,  b.  One  ram,  with  two-tenth 
deals  of  flour  for  a  food  offering,  and  one  third 
of  a  hin  of  wine  for  a  drink  offering,  c.  Seven 
lambs  of  the  first  year,  with  one  tenth  deal  of 
fine  flour  for  a  food  offering,  and  the  fourth  part 
of  a  hin  of  wine  as  a  drink  offering.  For  the 
feast  of  unleavened  bread.  Vers.  16-25.  The 
burnt  and  food  offerings  as  before,  drink  offer- 
ing not  expressed  but  understood. 

For  Pentecost.  Vers.  20-31.  First  fruits  lie 


CHAP.  XXV III.  1— XXTX.  40. 


161 


in  the  name.  Burnt  meat,  and  drink  offerings 
as  at  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread.  For  the 
seventh  nev7  moon,  chap.  xxix.  1-6.  A  bul- 
lock, a  ram,  and  seven  lambs  are  added  to  the 
daily  off-ring,  and  to  those  of  the  ordinary  new 
moon.  Meat  ami  drink  offerings  in  their  pro- 
portion. For  the  day  of  atonement,  vers. 
7-11.  Burnt  offering  with  the  appropriate  meat 
and  drink  offerings  as  on  the  seventh  new  moon. 
Beside  the  sin  offering  of  atonement,  one  kid  of 
the  goats  for  a  sin  offering.  For  the  feast  of 
tabernacles,  vers.  12-39.  Here  the  burnt-offer- 
ings rise  to  enormous  proportions.  At  the  first 
day  thirteen  bullocks,  the  second  twelve,  the 
third  eleven,  and  so  downward  to  the  seventh 
day,  when  seven  were  offered.  The  number  of 
rams  and  lambs  however  is  constant  through  all 
the  days,  and  the  meat  and  drink  offerings  are  in 
due  proportion.  The  steady  decrease  in  the 
number  of  bullocks  was  probably  due  to  the 
purpose  of  securing  seven  bullocks,  the  sacred 
number,  for  the  seventh  day,  and  indicating  at 
the  same  time  in  the  gradual  diminution  in  the 
number  of  sacrificial  bullocks  the  gradual  de- 
crease in  the  festal  character  of  the  seven  festal 
days,"  Keil.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  grand 
concluding  festival  upon  the  eighth  day,  closes 
with  the  simple  offering  of  an  ordinary  feast 
day,  chap.  xxix.  36. 

To  all  these  saciifices  must  be  added  the  vo- 
luntary offerings  of  individual  Israelites.  The 
peace  offerings  were  probably  especially  attached 
to  the  great  popular  festivals. 

This  lavish  employment  of  such  costly  mate- 
rial in  the  fire-offerings  was  designed  probably 
not  merely  to  express  fully  the  duty  of  self-con- 
secration, but  it  served  also  without  doubt  to 
confirm  the  natural  distinction  between  man  and 
brute  which  was  rent  away  everywhere  among 
the  heathen,  (as  it  is  now  again  in  modern  science 
so-called)  by  an  institution  of  revelation,  and 
also  to  train  a  young  shepherd  people,  by  the 
exercise  of  great  sacrifices,  to  a  free  and  inde- 
pendent position  relative  to  their  possessions  in 
herds  and  flocks.  We  have  already  alluded  to 
the  fact  that  the  shepherd  life,  and  even  the  grade 
and  condition  of  the  cattle,  were  elevated  through 
the  institution  of  such  offerings.  The  offering 
of  the  males  was  moreover  less  detrimental  for 
the  pastoral  economy  than  the  sacrifice  of  female 
victims  would  have  been.  [vVhile  this  renewal 
and  enlargement  of  the  law  looks  to  the  settle- 
ment of  Israel  in  Canaan,  where  the  Israelites 
Were  in  a  position  to  carry  it  out  to  its  full  ex- 
tent, it  has  also  a  deeper  significance  as  indi- 
cating the  reunion  of  Jehovah  with  His  people 
who  were  separated  from  Him  during  the  wan- 
derings. Israel  in  the  fields  of  Moab,  the  last 
of  the  rebellious  generation  dead,  now  stood  in 
the  place  of  the  preceding  generation  at  Sinai 
when  they  were  taken  into  covenant  with  Jeho- 
vah, and  hence  the  institutions  through  which 
they  had  communion  with  God,  are  set  forth 
here  more  fully  than  before.  The  whole  order 
is  wrapt  up  in  ver.  2:  My  offering  and  my 
bread  for  my  sacrifice  made  by  fire,  a 
BV7cet  savor  unto  me  shall  ye  observe  to 
offer  unto  me  in  their  due  season. — This  is 
the  germ  out  of  which  all  springs.  In  its  daily 
sacrifice  in  its  burnt  and  meal  offering  the  people 
11 


sanctified  its  life  and  its  substance  to  God.  This 
is  never  suspended.  At  each  period,  making  a 
beginning  in  its  life,  there  are  sacrifices  expres- 
sive of  the  truth,  that  they  belong  to  Jehovah  and 
yield  themselves  to  Him.  As  these  periods  open 
into  wider  circles — the  Sabbath,  the  new  moon — 
so  the  offerings  become  more  extensive  and  ex- 
pressive, until  we  reach  the  seventh  new  moon, 
which  in  a  sense  completes  the  festal  circle — the 
ceremonial  year.  It  begins  with  the  great  pas- 
chal feast  and  closes  with  the  great  day  of  atone- 
ment and  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  The  atone- 
ment completed,  the  ceremonial  ofl'ences  of  the 
past  accumulating  through  the  year,  and  it  may 
be  not  provided  for  in  the  recurring  festivals  and 
offerings,  now  all  removed  with  the  sin  ofi'ering 
and  Az;izel ;  the  people  start  anew  and  with  great 
joy.  The  joyous  character  of  the  feast  of  taber- 
nacles, was  due  partly  to  the  fact  that  it  com- 
memorated the  life  of  Israel  in  tents  and  booths 
now  passed,  partly  to  the  fact  that  it  was  the 
feast  of  first-fruits — a  feast  of  thanksgiving  for 
their  abundance — but  it  was  peculiarly  a  joj'ful 
feast  from  its  relation  to  the  whole  sacrificial 
system.  It  was  thefirst  feast  after  the  great  atone- 
ment had  been  concluded.  The  people  passed 
from  the  day  on  which  they  fasted  and  afflicted 
their  souls,  out  into  the  free  air  and  unrestricted 
communion  with  God.  They  were  not  burdened 
with  guilt  and  fears,  tbey  were  cleansed  from 
their  ceremonial  offences  ;  and  those  who  saw 
through  the  types  to  the  thing  represented  were 
no  doubt  cleansed  morally,  and  hence  the  exult- 
ant tone  of  this  solemnity'.  And  it  may  be  in 
the  gratitude  and  joy  which  seeks  every  way  to 
express  itself,  we  have  the  reason  for  the  more 
expensive  offering  of  this  feast;  and  also  a  rea- 
son why  the  thirteen  victims  on  the  first  day  de- 
cline to  seven  on  the  seventh — the  outburst  of 
joy  calming  itself  down  to  the  sober  but  no  less 
pure  and  deep  joy  of  the  ordinary  life  and  me- 
thods of  communion  with  God. 

The  apparent  discrepancy  between  chapter 
xxviii.  26-31  and  Lev.  xxiii.  18-20  is  removed  at 
once  upon  the  supposition  that  the  festal  offering 
spoken  of  here  was  independent  of  the  special 
offerings  connected  with  the  wave-loaves  which 
are  referred  to  in  that  passage.  The  whole 
statement  here,  implies  that  the  two  offerings 
were  distinct  and  separate,  and  this  view  is  con- 
firmed by  the  statements  as  to  the  offerings  which 
accompanied  the  great  day  of  atonement.  The 
offerings  in  Leviticus  are  connected  with  the 
rites  peculiar  to  each  festival,  and  formed  part 
of  them,  in  our  passage  they  are  additions  to  the 
continual  burnt  offering.  See  Bahr,  Sijmbolik; 
KvRTi,  Mosaische  Offeriny  ;  Faiebain's  Typology; 
Hiesch's  Com.,  which  is  full  and  elaborate; 
Keil,  Archaology . — A.  G.]. 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

With  a  delightful  anticipatory  view  of  Canaan 
Israel  is  reminded  again  that  it  must  hold  Jeho- 
vah in  honor,  as  the  Giver  of  all  its  wealth  and 
happiness  in  the  land  of  its  inheritance,  and  re- 
cognize the  truth  by  bringing  its  offerings.  The 
largeness  and  abundance  of  its  burnt  offerings 
is  fully  explainable  only,  as  a  cogent  method  of 
education    to    unselfishness.     See   the    exegesis. 


ltJ-2 


NUMBERS. 


But  as  to  the  freewill  oflferings,  their  unreason- 
able multiplication  must  be  restricted  by  the 
.-luihority  of  the  head  of  the  household,  see  chap. 

XXX. 

[My  sacrifice. — It  belongs  to  the  Lord  al- 
rtiidy.  We  otier  not  our  own — but  what  is  His. 
We  receive  tirst  and  then  give  of  whot  we  have 
received.  "The  otferiug,  ihe  power  and  will  to 
offer,  the  offerer  himsefr,  all  belong  to  God." 
God  receives  His  own  again,  but  with  it  the  affec- 
tion, the  homage,  and  the  devotion  of  the  offer- 
ers. The  showers  that  bless  the  earth  bear 
back  with  them  its  fragrance.  The  natural  and 
historical  significauce  of  the  three  great  feasts. 
See  Fairbai-n's  Typology. — A.  G.]. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

The  sense  of  the  nearness  of  the  promised 
land.  Indicated  by  the  renewal  and  extension 
of  the  sacriticial  and  festal  ordinances,  especially 
with  regard  to  the  food  and  fruit  offerings,  then 
more  particularly  the  enlarged  regulation  for  the 
feasts  (see  the  exegesis),  and  lastly  by  the  re- 
striction placed  upon  formal  vows.  The  bless- 
ing of  an  established  order,  even  in  ecclesiasti- 
cal affairs.  Every  religious  and  ecclesiastical 
ordinance  must  be  conditioned  by  its  idea  and 


purpose.  The  feasts  of  God's  people  as  intensi- 
fied sacrificial  feasts.  The  souls  of  the  people 
are  in  these  great  festal  offerings  raised  above 
the  world.  [Henry  :  "  Neither  the  pressure  of 
the  war  of  conquest,  nor  the  plenty  to  be  secured 
with  the  possession  of  the  land,  would  excuse 
any  neglect  as  to  the  ordinances  of  God.  When 
God  sows  plentifully  upon  us  He  expects  to  reap 
accordingly  from  us.  The  day  of  atonement 
and  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  The  intention  of 
divine  institutions  is,  then,  well  answered  when 
one  religious  service  helps  to  fit  us  for  another, 
and  all  for  heaven.  Even  our  best  services  are 
imperfect  and  need  atonement.  On  the  very  day 
the  sin  offering  of  atonement  was  offered  there 
must  be  another  sin  offering.  But  what  the  law 
could  not  do  in  that  it  was  weak  that  Christ  has 
done.  They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy. 
The  eighth  day.     See  John  vii.  37. 

Ver.  8y.  Beside  your  vows. — Though  every 
Israelite  had  a  share  in  the  common  sacrifices, 
yet  he  must  not  think  that  these  will  serve  in- 
stead of  his  vows  and  free-will  offerings." 

How  much  we  owe  to  Christ  who  has  fulfilled 
the  law,  and  has  set  us  free  from  the  yoke  of 
ordinances,  and  how  vigilantly  should  we  guard 
our  Christian  liberty. — A.  Q.]. 


SEVENTH  SECTION. 

The  regulation  of  the  Israelitish  family  in  Canaan,  represented  in  the  law  concern- 
ing female  vo^wa. 

Chapter  XXX.  1-16. 

1  And  Moses  spake  unto  the  heads  of  the  tribes  concerning  the  children  of  Israel, 

2  saying,  This  in  the  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded.  If  a  man  vow  a  vow 
unto  the  Lord,  or  swear  an  oath  to  bind  his  soul  with  a  bond  ;  he  shall  not  'break 

3  his  word,  he  shall  do  according  to  all  that  proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth.  If  a  wo- 
man also  vow  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,  and  bind  herselj  by  a  bond,  heincj  in  her  fath- 

4  er's  house  in  her  vouth  ;  And  her  father  hear  her  vow,  and  her  bond  wherewith 
she  hath  bound  her  soul,  and  her  father  shall  hold  his  peace  at  her  ;  then  all  her 
vows  shall  stand,  and  every  bond  wherewith  she  hath  bound' her  soul  shall  stand. 

5  But  if  her  father  disallow  her  in  the  day  that  he  heareth,  not  any  of  her  vows,  or 
of  her  bonds  wherewith  she  hath  bound  her  soul,  shall   stand  ;  and  the  Lord  shall 

6  forgive  her,  because  her  father  disallowed  her.  And  if  she  had  at  all  a  husband, 
when  she  Vowed,  or  uttered  aught  out  of  her  lips,  wherewith  she  bound  her  soul ; 

7  And  her  husband  heard  ii,  and  held  his  peace  at  her  in  the  day  that  he  heard  li: 
then  her  vows  shall  stand,  and  her  bonds  wherewith  she  bound  her  soul  shall  stand. 

8  But  if  her  husband  disallowed  her  on  the  day  that  he  heard  ii,  then  he  shall  make 
lier  vow  which  she  vowed,  and  that  which  she  uttered  with  her  lips,  wherewith  she 

9  bound  her  soul,  of  none  effect:  and  the  Lord  shall  forgive  her.  But  every  vow 
of  a  widow,  and  of  her  that  is  divorced,  wherewith  they  have  bound  their  souls, 

10  shall  stand  against  her.     And  if  she  vowed  in  her  husband's  house,  or  bound  her 

11  soul  by  a  bond  with  an  oath  ;  And  her  husband  heard  it,  and  held  his  peace  at 
her,  and  disallowed  her  not :  then  all  her  vows  shall  stand,  and  every  bond  where- 


CHAP.  XXX.  1-16. 


163 


12  with  she  bound  her  soul  shall  stand.  But  if  her  husband  hath  utterly  made  them 
void  on  the  day  he  heard  them;  then  whatsoever  proceeded  out  of  her  lips  concern- 
ing her  vows,  or  concerning  the  bond  of  her  soul,  shall  not  stand  :  her  husband 

13  hath  made  them  void ;  and  the  Lord  shall  forgive  her.  Every  vow,  and  every 
binding  oath  to  afflict  the  soul,  her  husband  may  establish  it,  or  her  husband  may 

14  make  it  void.  But  if  her  husband  altogether  hold  his  peace  at  her  from  day  to 
day  ;  then  he  establisheth  all  her  vows,  or  all  her  bonds,  which  are  upon  her :  he 
confirmeth  them,  because  he  held  his  peace  at  her  in  the  day  that  he  heard  them. 

15  But  if  he  shall  any  ways  make  them  void  after  that  he  hath  heard  them;  then  he 

16  shall  bear  her  iniquity.  These  are  the  statutes,  which  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses,  between  a  man  and  his  wife,  between  the  father  and  his  daughter,  being  yet 
in  her  youth  in  her  father's  honse. 


1  Heb.  profane. 


»  Marg.  her  vows  were  upon  her. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 
[Ver.  2.  StT*  Hiph.  from  '?Sn,  and  seems  to  imply  the  desecration  of  the  subject  itself,  not  the  mere  treating 

••-  T  T 

it  in  a  profane  way.    The  broken  word  is  desecrated. — A.  G.]. 

[Ver.  .3.  "nj  the  positive  vow;  IDX  the  bond,  the  negative  vow.    The  binding  of  the  will  through  a  vow  or 
oath.— A.  6.].  '  ' 

[Ver.  6.  HU32D  from  the  root  to  babble— the  rash,  thoughtless,  unadvisable  utterance— like  our  word  babbler 


-A.  G.l 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 

This  section  might  be  regarded  merely  as  a 
completion  of  the  regulations  concerning  vows 
(Lev.  xxvii.  ;  Num.  vi.)  if,  aside  from  the  re- 
peated utterances  as  to  the  sacredness  of  vows, 
we  had  not  here  to  deal  solely  with  the  vows  of 
women,  modified  by  their  dependent  condition, 
and  if  in  the  provisions  for  the  regulation  of 
their  vows,  we  did  not  find  the  fundamental  fea- 
tures of  the  Jewish  household  coming  distinctly 
into  view.  Keil  [also  Bib.  Com.  Baumgar- 
TEN  traces  it  back  to  the  regulations  over  female 
inheritance  of  the  land. — A.  G.]  finds  the  con- 
necting link  between  this  ch;ipter  and  the  pre- 
ceding in  the  offering,  since  the  vows  would 
mainly  relate  to  offerings.  We  think,  however, 
that  we  may  assume  that  the  prospect  of  the 
rich  blessing,  the  abundance  which  should  fall 
to  the  people  of  Israel  in  Canaan  forms  the  con- 
necting link.  In  the  wilderness  they  could 
make  no  great  offerings,  at  least  the  women 
could  not ;  in  Canaan,  on  the  contrary,  rich 
offerings  could  and  should  be  brought,  and  how 
like  woman's  nature  it  is,  in  the  enjoyment  of 
plenty,  to  make  arbitrary  and  lavish  offerings. 
The  lineaments  of  the  Israelitish  domestic  ar- 
rangements appear  in  the  following  distinctions. 

1.  The  head  of  the  household,  the  father  or 
husband,  decides  upon  the  validity  of  the  vows 
of  the  female  members  of  the  household,  because 
they  are  dependent  upon  him.  On  account  of 
this  dependence  they  have  no  absolute  or  un- 
conditioned right  of  vows,  or  surrender.  They 
are  particularly,  with  reference  to  religious 
obligations,  consecrations  and  self-engagements 
dependent  upon  the  head  of  the  house.  If  he 
utters  his  veto,  the  woman  is  released  from  her 
vow,  God  counts  her  free.  It  is  only  an  emascu- 
lated modern  liberalism  which  would  reverse  this 
divinely  appointed  order  of  nature,  and  consti- 
tute woman  the  mistress,  give  her  control  of  the 
household  in  things  of  religion. 


2.  But  the  master  of  the  house  has  no  unlim- 
ited right  of  veto.  It  is  only  in  those  cases  in 
which,  immediately  after  he  had  heard  of  the 
vow,  he  declared  it  invalid,  that  the  obligation 
was  removed.  If  for  any  time,  either  longer  or 
shorter,  he  had  kept  silence,  he  could  not  inva- 
lidate the  vow  by  a  later  interference.  He  thus 
indeed  involves  himself  in  the  obligation,  and 
must  expiate  for  the  non-fulfilment  of  the  vow, 
as  for  his  own  trangression,  with  a  sin-offering, 
or  incur  the  judicial  penalty.  The  reason  is 
obvious ;  he  has  thus  suffered  her  to  cherish 
the  assumption  of  her  own  independence,  and 
her  freedom  to  vow.  The  acquired  practical 
right  of  the  woman  takes  the  place  of  his  legal 
right. 

3.  The  widows  and  divorced  women  are  free 
in  their  vows,  since  they  are  not  restricted  by 
any  male  authority  and  household  government. 
They  form  households  in  themselves,  and  in 
accordance  with  the  deep  inward  parity  or 
equality  of  the  female  sex  with  the  male. 

4.  The  different  cases  in  which  the  right  of 
veto  can  be  exercised  are,  first,  the  vows  of 
dependent  maiden  daughters;  second,  the  bride 
who  enters  her  husband's  house  with  her  vows 

unfulfilled.      [Bring    it   upon   her   TT'/J!.      The 

case  is  of  one  betrothed.  Bib.  Com.:  Between 
betrothal  and  marriage  the  woman  resided  in 
her  father's  house ;  but  her  property  vested  in 
her  husband,  and  she  was  so  far  regarded  as 
personally  his,  that  an  act  of  unfaithfulness  to 
him  was  like  adultery,  punishable  with  death 
(Deut.  xxii.  23,  24).  Hence  his  right  to  control 
her  vows  even  before  he  actually  took  her  home 
as  his  wife.  The  vows  might  have  been  made 
either  previously  or  subsequently  to  betrothal; 
but  in  either  case  her  future  husband,  under 
whose  control  she  passed  with  these  vows  upon 
her,  might  disallow  them." — A.  G.]  The  third 
case  was  that  of  wife  who  made  a  vow  in  her 
married  state. 

Every  vow  was  strictly  to  take  an  obligation 


164 


NUMBERS. 


upon  the  soul,  to  bind  the  soul ;  but  the  oath 
form  (ver.  2)  occurs  here  probably  intentionally. 
The  expression :  uttered  out  of  her  lips  has 
an  apologetic  bearing  with  reference  to  the 
female  hastiness  and  thoughtlessness  of  speech. 
[It  is,  however,  an  unfair  inference  which  Keil 
and  Bib.  Com.  make  from  its  use  here,  that 
such  vows  were  not  uncommon. — A.  G.]  Keil 
remarks  justly:  Moses  addressed  these  instruc- 
tions to  the  heads  of  the  tribes,  because  they 
extend  into  the  sphere  of  civil  life. 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

[The  care  and  explicitness  with  which  these 
instructions  are  given  to  those  who  would  be 
called  to  apply  them,  shows  the  sacredness  of 
vows  generally,  and  with  what  caution  they 
should  be  made,  and  how  carefully  they  should 
be  kept  when  made.  It  is  one  of  the  most  intri- 
cate and  interesting  fields  of  casuistry  which  is 
presented  here.  Sensitive  and  morbid  con- 
sciences are  often  perplexed  and  burdened  by 
vows  which  ought  never  to  have  been  made. 
The  saying  of  the  preacher  has  an  appropriate 
place  here:  it  is  better  not  to  vow  than  to  vow 
and  not  pay.      Bishop   Sandebson  treats  the 


question  largely  and  fully. 
Practical  Works. — A.  G.] 


See   also  Baxter, 


HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Womanly  enthusiasm  in  religious  matters 
should  be  especially  restrained  by  the  domestic 
authority  of  the  man.  This  fundamental  moral 
law  is  not  suspended  by  the  confessional.  That 
is  a  fountain  of  Amazonian  nature  and  life,  ever 
extending  and  becoming  more  mischievous. 
See  MiCHELET,  du  pretre,  de  la  femme,  et  de  la 
famille.  [No  man  can  bind  himself  by  a  vow  to 
do  that  which  the  law  of  God  prohibits  him 
from  doing,  or  to  refrain  from  that  which  it 
clearly  requires.  Henry:  "A  promise  to  man 
is  a  bond  upon  his  estate;  but  a  promise  to  God 
is  a  bond  upon  his  soul.  God's  promises  to  us 
are  yea  and  amen ;  let  not  ours  to  him  be  yea 
and  nay.  How  carefully  the  divine  law  consults 
the  good  order  of  families,  and  preserves  the 
power  of  superior  relations  and  the  duty  and 
reverence  of  inferiors !  Rather  than  break 
these  bonds,  God  Himself  would  quit  his  right 
and  release  the  obligation  of  a  solemn  vow." — 
A.  G.] 


EIGHTH    SECTION. 

The  new  Separation  from  the  Heathenism  of  Midian  analogous  to  the  earlier 
Separation  from  the  Heathenism  of  Egypt.  The  war  of  Revenge  against 
Midian  as  a  prologue  to  the  extermination  of  the  Canaanites.  The  Midianitish 
spoil  a  parallel  to  the  Egyptian. 


Chapter  XXXI.  1-54. 

2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Avenge  the  children  of  Israel  of  the 
Midianites  :  afterward  shalt  thou  be  gathered  unto  thy  people.  And  Moses  spake 
unto  the  people,  saying,  Arm  some  of  yourselves  unto  the  war,  and  let  them  go 
against  the  Midianites,  and  avenge  the  Lord  of  Midian.  Of  every  tribe  a  thou- 
sand,^ throughout  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  shall  ye  send  to  the  war.  So  there  were 
delivered  out  of  the  thousands,  of  Israel,  a  thousand  oi  every  tribe,  twelve  thousand 
armed  for  war.  And  Moses  sent  them  to  the  war,  a  thousand  of  every  tribe,  them 
and  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar  the  priest,  to  the  war,  with  the  holy  instruments, 
and  the  trumpets  to  blow  in  his  hand.  And  they  warred  against  the  Midianites, 
as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses;  and  they  slew  all  the  males.  And  they  slew  the 
kings  of  Midian,  beside  the  rest  of  them  that  were  slain  ;  namely,  Evi,  and  Rekem, 
and  Zur,  and  Hur,  and  Reba,  five  kings  of  Midian :  Balaam  also  the  son  of  Beor 
9  they  slew  with  the  sword.  And  the  children  of  Israel  took  all^  the  women  of 
Midian  captives,  and  their  little  ones,  and  took  the  spoil  of  all  their  cattle,  and  all 

10  their  flocks,  and  all  their  goods.     And  they  burnt  all  their  cities  wherein  they 

11  dwelt,  and  all  their  goodly  castles,  with  fire.     And  they  took  all  the  spoil,  and  all 

12  the  prey,  both  of  men  and  of  beasts.  And  they  brought  the  captives,  and  the  prey, 
and  the  spoil,  unto  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  unto  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  unto  the  camp  at  the  plains  of  Moab,  which  are  by  Jordan  near 
Jericho. 


1, 
3 


5 


7 
8 


CHAP.  XXXT.  1-54.  166 


13  And  Moses,  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  all  the  princes  of  the  congregatwn,  went 

14  forth  to  meet  them  without  the  camp.     And  Moses  was  wroth  with  the  ofhcers  o± 
the  host,  with  the  captains  over  thousands,  and  captains  over  hundreds,   which 

15  came  from  the  battle>     And  Moses  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  saved  all  the  women 

1 6  alive  ?  Behold,  these  caused  the  children  of  Israel,  through  the  counsel  ot  13a  aam, 
to  commit  trespass  against  the  Lord  in  the  matter  of  Peor,  and  there  was  a  plague 

17  among  the  congregation  of  the  Lord.     Now  therefore  kill  every  male  among  the 

18  little  ones,  and  kill  every  woman  that  hath  known  man  by  lying  with  him.  But 
all  the  women  children,  that  have  not  known  a  man  by  lying  with  him,  keep  alive 

19  for  yourselves.  And  do  ye  abide  without  the  camp  seven  days :  whosoever  hath 
killed  any  person,  and  whosoever  hath  touched  any  slain,  purify  both  yourselves 

20  and  your  captives  on  the  third  dav,  and  on  the  seventh  day.  And  punfy  all  yoi'.r 
raiment,  and  all  that  is  made  of  skins,*  and  all  work  of  goats'  hair,  and  all  things 
made  of  wood. 

21  And  Eleazar  the  priest  said  unto  the  men  of  war  which  went  to  the  battle,  This 

22  is  the  ordinance  of  the  law  which  the  Lord  commanded  Moses ;  Only  the  gold, 

23  and  the  silver,  the  brass,  the  iron,  the  tin,  and  the  lead.  Everything  that  may 
abide  the  fire,  ye  shall  make  it  go  through  the  fire,  and  it  shall  be  clean ;  never- 
theless it  shall  be  purified  with  the  water  of  separation :  and  all  that  aoideth  not 

24  the  fire  ye  shall  make  go  through  the  water.  And  ye  shall  wash  your  clothes  on 
the  seventh  day,  and  ye  shall  be  clean,  and  afterward  ye  shall  come  into  the  camp. 

25,  26  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Take  the  sum  of  the  prey*  that  was 
taken,  both  of  man  and  of  beast,  thou,  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  the  chief  fathers 

27  of  the  congregation  :  And  divide  the  prey  into  two  parts  ;  between  them  that  took 
the  war  upon  them,  who  went  out  to  battle,  and  between  all  the  congregation. 

28  And  levy  a  tribute  unto  the  Lord  of  the  men  of  war  which  went  out  to  battle : 
one  soul  of  five  hundred,  both  of  the  persons,  and  of  the  beeves,  and  of  the  asses, 

29  and  of  the  sheep :  Take  it  of  their  half,  and  give  it  unto  Eleazar  the  priest  jor  a 
80  heave  offering  of  the  Lord.     And  of  the  children  of  Israel's  half,  thou  shalt  take 

one  portion  of  fifty,  of  the  persons,  of  the  beeves,  of  the  asses,  and  of  the  flocks 
of  all  manner  of  beasts,  and' give  them  unto  the  Levite3,  which  keep  the  charge  of 

31  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord.     And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  did  as  the  Lord 

32  commanded  Moses.  And  the  booty,  being  the  rest  of  the  prey  which  the  men  oi 
war  had  caught,  was  six  hundred  thousand  and  seventy  thousand  and  five  thousand 

33,  34  sheep.  And  three  score  and  twelve  thousand  beeves.  And  threescore  and  one 

35  thousand  asses,  And  thirty  and  two  thousand  persons  in  all,  of  women  that  had  not 

36  known  man  by  lying  with  him.  And  the  half,  xohichwas  the  portion  of  them  that 
went  out  to  war,  was  in  number  three  hundred  thousand  and  seven  and  thirty 

37  thousand  and  five  hundred  sheep :  And  the  Lord's  tribute  of  the  sheep  was  six 

38  hundred  and  threescore  and  fifteen.     And  the  beeves  were  thirty  and  six  thousand; 

39  of  which  the  Lord's  tribute  was  threescore  and  twelve.  And  the  asses  were  thirty 
thousand  and  five  hundred  ;  of  which  the  Lord's  tribute  was  threescore  and  one 

40  And  the  persons  were  sixteen  thousand  ;  of  which  the  Lord's  tribute  was  thirty  and 

41  two  persons.     And  Moses  gave  the  tribute,  which  teas  the  Lord's  heave  offering, 

42  unto  Eleazar  the  priest,  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.     And  of  the  children  of 

43  Israel's  half,  which  Moses  divided  from  the  men  that  warred,  (Now  the  half  that  per- 
tained unto  the  congregation  was  three  hundred  thousand  and  thirty  thousand  and 

44,  45  seven  thousand  and  five  hundred  sheep.  And  thirty  and  six  thousand  bee\;^s.  And 

46,  47  thirty  thousand  asses  and  five  hundred.  And  sixteen  thousand  persons,)  Even  ol 

the  children  of  Israel's  half,  Moses  took  one  portion  of  fifty,  both  of  man  and  of  beast, 

and  gave  them  unto  the  Levites,  which  kept  the  charge  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 

Lord  ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

48       And  the  officers  which  were  over  thousands  of  the  host,  the  captains  of  thousands, 

40  and  captains  of  hundreds,  came  near  unto  Moses :  And  they  said  unto  Moses,  Thy 

servants  have  taken  the  sum  of  the  men  of  war  which  are  under  our  charge,'  and 

there  lacketh  not  one  man  of  us.     We  have  therefore  brought  an  oblation  for  the 

Lord,  what  every  man  hath  gotten,'  of  jewels  of  gold,  chains,  and  bracelets,  rings, 


166 


NUMBERS. 


51  earrings,  and  tablets,  to  make  an  atonement  for  our  souls  before  the  Lord.  And 
Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  took  the  gold  of  them,  even  all  ^vrought  jewels. 

62  And  all  the  gold  of  the  oftering®  that  they  offered  up  to  the  Lord,  of  the  captains 
of  thousands,  and  of  the  captains  of  hundreds,  was  sixteen  thousand  seven  hundred 

53  and  lifty  shekels.     {For  the  men  of  war  had  taken  spoil,  every  man  for  himself.) 

54  And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  took  the  gold  of  the  captains  of  thousands  and 
of  hundreds,  and  brought  it  into  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  Jor  a  memorial 
for  the  children  of  Israel  before  the  Lord. 


'  Marg.  a  thousand  of  a  tribe,  a  thousand  of  a  tribe. 
*  iMarg.  instrument  or  vessel  of  skins. 
1  Marg.  hand. 


*  Marg.  host  of  war. 
6  Marg.  of  the  captivity. 
8  Marg.  found. 


3  Marg.  a  male. 

•  Marg.  goats. 

'  Marg.  heave  offering. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  3.  li*  vM)  from  the  root,  to  detach  some  thing  or  person  from  its  previous  connection.     A  detailed  por- 

:  T 

tion.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  5.    ODrD'i  to  give  over,  deliver.    Here  that  which  was  given  over  to  the  special  work.    Ges.  to  separate, 

T  • 

used  only  here  and  in  ver.  IG. — A.  G.] 

fVer.  6.  The  1  seems  to  he  the  1   explicative,  to  wit,  or  "  and  in  fact."  Keil.] 

[Ver.  10.    Dri1"10,  either  a  walled  place,  or  one  encircled  by  a  row  or  range.    Here  probably  tent-villages  or 

T 

hamlets. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  26.  The  living  prey  or  booty,  as  in  ver.  12. — A.  G.] 

f\''er.  29.  The  word  denotes  simply  offering.     Omit  the  heave. — .\.  G.] 

[Ver.  32.  Tlie  nip70,  the  living  prey,  the  only  divisible  portion.— A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 

The  war  of  vengeance  against  the  Midianites 
is  specifically  of  the  Old  Testament;  but  as  ?iich 
also  of  world  historical  significance,  it  being  no 
fortuitous  occurrence,  but  a  necessary  element 
in  the  history  of  the  Theocracy. 

It  is  the  after-piece  to  the  judicial  punishment 
to  which  the  Israelites  were  doomed  on  account 
of  their  fall  into  the  voluptuous  cultus  of  the  Mi- 
dianites, and  the  precursor  of  the  exterminating 
judgment  which  was  soon  to  overtake  the  Cauaan- 
ites.  It  was  entirely  fitting  that  with  respect  to  the 
great  apostasy  to  which  the  words  of  the  prophet 
Amos  (ch.  V.  2o)  clearly  refer,  not  only  the  tempted 
Israeliiish  people  should  be  punished,  but  much 
more,  the  people  who  were  the  tempters,  an  ut- 
terly depraved,  nomadic  horde,  which  camped  in 
the  east  of  Muab.  When  the  Moabites  tliemselves 
were  involved  in  the  guilt  of  the  Midianites,  there 
comes  into  view  again  with  respect  to  them  the 
blood-relationship  which  was  ever  an  object  of 
pious  regard  to  the  Israelites.  But  what  was 
more  important  was  tlie  fact  that  the  Midianites 
were  the  chief  agents,  both  in  the  calling  of  Ba- 
l.iara  to  curse,  and  in  the  execution  of  his  diabo- 
lical counsels.  Even  in  a  political  point  of  view 
a  war  with  Moab  would  have  been  an  error. 

The  sins  of  the  Midianites  are  related  to  the 
Bins  of  the  Canaanites  as  the  lust  cultus  with  the 
cultus  of  human  sacrifices  or  the  Moloch  service. 
Both  forms  of  conception  are  only  the  two  sides 
of  the  one  irremediable  corruption,  which  con- 
sists in  this,  that  a  people  has  turned  its  public 
morals  into  a  destructive  immorality,  because  it 
has  abandoned  all  reverence  for  a  personal  God 
and  personal  life,  and  sunk  into  the  dark,  magic 
sin,  the  sin  of  deifying  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  and 
into  death,  its  fruit.  The  Canaanites  could  not  live 


as  a  people  under  Israel  without  perverting  Is- 
rael aud  with  it  the  history  of  mankind.  In  a 
similar  way  the  Midianites  would  have  been  a 
snare  to  the  tribes  east  of  the  Jordan,  if  they  had 
been  left  in  their  immediate  neighborhood,  and 
it  may  not  have  been  without  a  real  practical  oc- 
casion, that  immediately  subsequent  to  the  de- 
struction of  the  Midianites,  the  narrative  proceeds 
to  speak  of  the  settlement  of  the  tribes  of  Reu- 
ben, Gad,  and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh  in  the 
East.  But  in  addition  to  this,  it  is  certain  that 
the  Midianites  had  incurred  the  penalty  of  death 
at  the  hands  of  the  Israelites,  because  they  had 
celebrated  exultingly  the  seeming  triumph  of 
Baal-Peor  with  his  shameless  pollution,  over  Je- 
hovah, the  God  of  personal  dignity  and  moral 
purity  and  di.scipline.  The  memory  of  this  and 
its  infectious  influence  must  be  extinguished  with 
terrible  earnestness.  This  explains  the  entirely 
destructive  purpose  of  the  attack,  although  we 
must  distinguish  between  the  divine  direction 
(xxv.  17,  18;  xxxi.  1)  and  its  human  execution, 
and  also  between  the  human  weakness  and  the 
prophetic  sternness  and  rigor  (xxxi.  14).  If  the 
women  have  made  the  lascivious  cultus  the  na- 
tional custom,  the  men  who  are  the  prime  agents, 
active  or  passive,  must  bear  the  responsibility ; 
and  it  is  ever  a  symptom  of  the  moral  stupor  into 
which  a  people  have  sunk,  when  the  female  sex 
takes  its  own  course  in  every  evil.  Even  if  a 
feast,  it  is  only  an  unrestrained  indulgence  in 
luxury.  Among  the  Midianites  the  male  sex  ap- 
pears to  have  been  corrupt  to  the  very  core;  but 
the  female  sex  in  the  measure  in  which  it  had 
come  to  know  the  relations  of  the  sexes,  as  a 
sphere  of  profligacy.  Thus  this  history,  with  all 
its  strangeness  and  terriblencss,  is  designed  to 
take  its  place  among  the  means  of  salvation  for 
the  true  humanity,  and  a  sign  of  warning  to  the 
natigns   for  all   time.     [It   has   been  well  said 


CHAP.  XXXI.  1-54. 


iti7 


"that  the  question  was  whether  an  obscene  and 
debasing  idolatry,  should  undermine  the  founda- 
tions of  human  society,  or  the  divine  retribution 
interpose  to  stay  the  plague  and  deliver  the  people 
of  God."  Sin  must  be  destroyed  at  any  cost,  and 
we  may  be  sure  that  He  who  loves  man  but  hates 
his  sin,  shows  his  love  to  man  by  puui-hing  that 
sin  which  draws  him  far  away  from  God." 
Hence  the  rigor  with  which  the  sin  of  idolatry 
is  dealt  with.  It  involves  a  total  alienation  froui 
God,  and  must  therefore  always  be  debasing  and 
ruinous.  There  is  every  thing  in  the  record  to 
show  that  the  war  was  no  common  one,  and  is 
not  therefore  to  be  judged  by  the  common  prin- 
ciples which  regulate  ordinary  wars.  It  was  ra- 
ther the  execution  of  a  divine  judicial  sentence. 
It  was  to  avenge  the  Lord  of  Midian. — 
It  was  undertaken  by  His  direction,  and  was 
shaped  and  controlled  by  Him  throughout.  The 
Israelites  were  the  instruments  of  His  vengeance. 
It  was  directed  against  the  Midianites,  who  were 
then  encamped  upon  the  plain  of  Moab,  because 
they  were  the  prime  movers  in  the  temptation 
and  fall  of  Israel.  They  were  still  practising 
their  wiles  after  the  plague  had  been  stayed 
(xxv.  18).  They  knew  against  whom  they  were 
plotting,  since  Balaam  was  among  them.  Moab 
had  sought  the  material  victory  over  Israel,  its 
subjugation  as  a  political  powei',  a  mighty  and 
conquering  nation.  The  Midianites  sought  to 
sap  the  very  spiritual  and  moral  life  of  the  peo- 
ple. They  were  seeking  not  victoi'y,  but  the  de- 
struction of  Israel.  It  was  a  fatal  blow,  if  suc- 
cessful, or  if  not  arrested.  The  object  of  the 
war  is  not  directly  the  destruction  of  the  Midi- 
anites, but  the  freeing  of  Israel  from  their  arts 
and  corruption,  its  moral  and  spiritual  bearing. 
Everything  bears  upon  this:  the  smallness  of 
the  number  chosen,  but  yet  it  must  be  selected 
from  every  tribe,  and  so  represent  the  entire  peo- 
ple whose  life  had  been  endangered  ;  the  appoint- 
ment of  Phinehas,  whose  zeal  against  the  sin  of 
the  Midianites  had  made  him  conspicuous,  as  a 
priest,  and  with  the  instruments  and  trumpets  to 
go  with  the  army,  not  as  a  military  leader,  and 
the  remarkable  preservation  of  the  warlike  host, 
all  show  that  the  character  of  the  war  was  pecu- 
liar, that  it  was  judicial,  that  its  ultimate  pur- 
pose was  the  safety  of  the  people  of  God  in  its 
highest  aspects  and  life ;  and  that  it  could  not 
have  been  secured  in  any  other  way. 

If  it  be  objected  that  many  innocent  persons 
must  have  fallen  in  the  judgment,  the  obvious 
and  satisfactory  answer  is,  that  the  objection  lies 
as  well  against  the  whole  judicial  providence  of 
God  in  the  world  ;  and  secondly,  that  the  sin  was 
national.  The  rulers  listened  to  the  counsel  of 
Balaam,  and  found  ready  obedience  on  the  part 
of  the  people.  The  people  sinned,  and  the  peo- 
ple are  punished.  It  is  not  only  that  judgments 
of  this  nature  must  be  indiscriminate  in  their 
sweep,  but  that  God  deals  with  nations  as  moral 
agents.  We  must  bear  in  mind  too  that  this  was 
not  a  self-undertaken  invasion  of  Israel.  They 
were  sent  upon  it,  they  had  definite  instructions 
how  to  execute  their  painful  task,  and  they  were 
held  to  its  spirit,  when  they  would  have  swerved 
into  leniency.  It  was  no  mere  slaughter  inspired 
by  feelings  of  animosity;  it  is  not  a  display  of 
blood-thirsty  and  cruel  passion,  but  the  execu- 


tion of  a  solemn  trust.  The  whole  history  is  an 
impressive  exhibition  of  the  wrath  of  God  against 
sin — here  executed  by  human  agents — and  a 
standing  type  of  the  ultimate  destruction  of  sin- 
ners. If  we  put  ourselves  in  the  true  position  at 
the  outset,  see  the  true  nature  and  purpose  of  the 
war,  all  is  plain. — A.  G.] 

Vers.  1-6.  The  avenging  host. — A  thousand 
were  chosen  from  each  tribe,  winch  constituted 
an  army  of  12,000  men,  under  the  priestly  lead- 
ership of  Phinehas,  the  heroic  enthusiast,  and 
with  the  sound  of  the  holy  trumpets.  Keil  re- 
minds us  that  Phinehas  was  not  their  com- 
mander, but  was  sent  along  with  the  sacred 
trumpets  as  the  priest,  because  the  war  was  a 
holy  war.  But  he  seems  to  overlook  the  fact  that 
all  the  wars  of  Israel  in  these  days  were  holy 
wars,  and  that  the  scribes  and  priests  belonged 
to  the  army  organization. 

[It  is  worthy  of  notice,  however,  that  in  the 
earlier  wars  against  Sihon,  Og,  the  Amorites,  we 
have  no  mention  of  the  presence  of  the  priests 
with  the  holy  trumpets.  Phinehas  was  chosen 
avowedly  as  a  priest,  and  he  was  doubtless  se- 
lected from  the  company  of  priests,  because  he 
had  displayed  such  conspicuous  zeal,  and  would 
be  the  fittest  person  to  inspire  the  army  with 
sacred  zeal  in  the  mission. — A.  G.].  Who  the 
military  leader  of  the  army  was  we  are  not 
certainly  told.  [Presumably  it  must  have  been 
Joshua. —  A.  G.].  The  holy  vessels  cannot  mean 
the  ark  of  the  covenant,  nor  the  Urim  and 
Thummim,  but  the  sounding  trumpets.  The 
Urim  and  Thummim  were  borne  by  the  high- 
priest,  and  they  would  have  been  superfluous 
when  everything  was  decided.  [The  trumpets 
themselves  seem  to  have  been  the  instruments 
—A.  G.]. 

Vers.  7-12.  The  vengeance. — In  an  assault 
by  storm,  as  it  appears,  all  the  men  of  Midian 
were  slain  [z.  e.,  obviously,  all  the  men  of  war, 
the  men  who  were  in  the  battle,  the  adult  males 
all  being  present  probably.  See  v.  17. — A. 
G.].  The  five  shepherd  kings  of  the  people, 
who  were  probably  slain  as  captives,  are  re- 
corded by  name.  [These  were  slain  7j,'~  upon 
or  in  addition  to  those  who  perished  in  the 
battle. — A.  G.].  Balaam,  too,  the  instigator  of 
the  sin  and  mischief,  meets  his  doom,  in  whose 
case  a  separate  judicial  execution  seems  to  be 
intimated.  The  cities  and  encampments  of  the 
enemy  were  destroyed  by  fire,  their  wives  and 
ohildren  carried  captive,  and  thus  the  Midian- 
ites as  a  people  were  utterlj'  blotted  out  of  ex- 
istence.* From  Joshua  xiii.  21  it  appears  that 
the  Midianite  princes  were  vassals  of  the  Amo- 
rite  king  Sihon,  and  the  cities  of  the  habitation 
were  originally  Moabite,  and  subsequently  Amo- 
rite  cities.  The  region  itself  fell  afterward-s  to 
the  tribe  of  Reuben.  "In  v.  12,  ''2'd  applies  to 
the  women  and  children  who  were  taken  prison- 
ers, nip7D  to  the   cattle  taken    as    booty,  and 

*  [Kurtz,  however,  holds  that  the  destruction  on^y 
concerned  those  tribes  of  the  Midianites  dwelling  on 
the  high-lands  of  Moab;  that  the  main  stock  of  the 
tribe  shared  neither  in  the  sin  nor  judgment,  and 
hence  later  in  the  history  (.Judges  vi.  8)  they  appear  as 
a  mighty  and  hostile  power  against  Israel. — A.  G.]. 


168 


NUMBERS. 


SStr  to  the  rest  of  the  prey."  Keil.  [Goodly 
castles,  "  rather  hamlets.  LXX.  k-av7.eiq — 
partial  enclosures.  It  indicates  probably  those 
collections  of  such  dwellings  made  of  stones 
piled  oue  oa  another  and  covereti  with  tent- 
cloths,  which  are  used  by  the  Arabs  to  this 
day."'BiB.  Com.— A.  G.]. 

Vers.  13-18.  The  uprooting  of  the  Midi- 
anites  as  a  people.  The  victorious  army 
w;is  received  at  tbe  front  of  the  camp  by  Moses, 
Eleazar  the  high-priest,  and  the  elders.  But 
Moses  addresses  the  leaders  of  the  host  with 
reproaches,  because  they  had  left  all  the  women 
aliv^. 

The  women  were  certainly  the  cause  of  the 
great  sin  and  fall  of  Israel,  ami  associated  with 
the  Israelitish  families  they  might  have  become 
more  destructive  to  the  people  than  before. 
But  how  was  it  with  the  boys?  Knobel  re- 
minds us,  that  they  would  have  risen  up  later  as 
the  avengers  of  their  slain  fathers.  But  they 
might  also,  according  to  their  Midianitish  na- 
ture, "have  corrupted  the  Israelitish  women. 
The  terrible  result  of  the  command  was  the 
death  penalty  to  every  male,  and  also  to  every 
female,  except  those  whose  virginity  could  be 
established,  and  who  might  become  fused  into 
the  popular  life  of  Israel  without  danger,  in  the 
position  of  slaves,  handmaids.  And  this  Old 
Testament  doom  was  accomplished  under  the 
wrath,  under  the  killing  power  of  the  law. 
Still  later  in  the  history,  Elijah,  in  following  out 
the  law,  had  it  in  his  purpose  to  destroy  his 
people  by  fire.  It  was  not  the  Jewish  nation 
which  introduced  such  conflicts,  but  the  ten- 
dency and  result  of  the  law  led  to  them,  brought 
about  the  struggles  in  which  the  higher  human- 
ity, had  to  be  protected  against  the  humanity  of 
the  mere  natural  feelings.  Thus  Moses  re- 
buked the  clemency  of  the  captains.  Thus 
Samuel  rebuked  the  leniency  of  Saul  (1  Sam  xv.) 

[Ver.  16.  These  caused commit  tres- 
pass. They  have  become  to  the  Israelites 
to  work  unfaithfulness  towards  Jehovah,  for  a 
cause  or  incitement  to  treacliery  to  the  Lord, 
or  perhaps  with  a  more  distinct  allusion  to  the 
manner  in  which  the  inducement  was  brought  to 
bear,  and  possibly  the  intent  on  their  part — 
these  were  to  the  sons  of  Israel — gave  them- 
selves to  them,  to  give  them  in  unfaithfulness  or 
disloyalty  to  God.  on  account  of  Peor. — A.  G.]. 

Vers.  19-24.  The  purification  of  the  host 
and  of  the  spoil  vyithout  the  camp.  The 
purification  of  the  warriors  who  had  slain  any 
one,  or  who  had  touched  any  slain  one,  takes 
place  according  to  the  rule  prescribed  (chap, 
xix.  11).  But  all  the  plundered  stuffs  and 
fabrics  must  also  be  purified.  For  this  Eleazar 
the  high-priest  now  prescribes  more  definite 
rules.  Every  metal  munt  be  cleansed  through 
the  fire,  and  all  non-metallic  substances  must 
be  purified  by  water;  and  yet  each  must  finally 
be  Hanctificd  and  consecrated  by  the  water  of 
separation. 

Vers.  25-47.  The    division  of  the   spoil. 

The  whole  sum  of  the  prey  was  taken  in  charge 
Vjy  Moses,  the  high-priest,  and  the  heads  of  the 
fathers'  houses.  Then  it  was  divided  into  two 
equal  parts,  one  of  which  fell  to  the  army  and 


the  other  to  the  congregation.  The  warriors, 
however,  were  to  yield  one-fifth  of  one  per  cent, 
of  the  persons  and  the  cattle  to  the  high-priest 
for  Jehovah,  while  the  congregation  must  yield 
two  per  cent.,  or  one  out  of  fifty  for  the  Levites. 
[The  division  of  the  prey  into  two  equal  parts 
was  just.  For  as  those  who  went  to  war  were 
chosen  out  of  the  whole — and  thus  represented 
the  whole — the  congregation  were  fairly  entitled 
to  a  share  in  the  spoil  which  their  representa- 
tives had  taken;  while  the  large  proportion 
was  justly  due  to  those  who  had  all  the  peril. — 
A.  G.].  In  the  same  way  the  non-combatants 
were  usually  considered  in  the  distribution  of 
the  spoil — even  the  captives  were  considered. 
Josh.  xxii.  8;  1  Sam  xxx.  24;  2  Maccab.  viii. 
28-30.  Upon  the  likelihood  of  so  great  a  spoil 
being  taken  [Keil  says,  "  There  is  nothing  in 
these  numbers  to  astouish  any  one  who  has 
formed  correct  notions  of  the  wealth  of  nomad 
tribes  in  flocks  and  herds.  The  only  thing 
which  is  surprising  is  that  there  is  no  mention 
of  camels.  But  it  is  not  certain  that  the  .Mi- 
dianites  were  in  the  habit  of  rearing  camels, 
and  if  they  had  been  the  Israelites  would  pro- 
bably have  put  these  to  death  as  useless  to  them 
in  their  present  circumstances.  The  quantity  of 
jewelry  seized  is  quite  in  harmony  with  the 
well-known  love  of  Nomads  for  ornaments  of 
this  kind,  and  with  the  peculiar  liking  of  the 
Midianites."  See  Jud.  viii.  26.— A.  G.].  It 
seems  extremely  improbable  to  the  critics  that 
not  an  Israelite  should  have  fallen  in  the  war. 
The  account,  however,  seems  to  imply  that  the 
attack  was  sudden  and  furious,  that  the  enemy 
were  probably  taken  utterly  by  surprise,  and 
that  it  was  rather  a  rout  than  a  battle  in  any 
true  sense.  Keil  cites  as  analogous  instances 
Tacitus  ^w«.  xiii.  19;  Strabo  xvi.  1128;  and 
Havernick  Introduction  1,  2,  p.  452.  [This  is 
one  of  the  features  of  this  narrative  which 
shows  that  we  are  dealing  here  with  the  execu- 
tion of  a  divine  sentence.  It  implies  an  extra- 
ordinary divine  protection,  which  is  in  accord- 
ance with  the  view  that  they  were  in  a  peculiar 
sense  the  Lord's  instruments. — A.  G. 

Vers.  48-54.  The  consecratory  gifts  of 
the  officers.  In  gratitude  for  their  wondrous 
preservation,  they  are  ready  to  present  as  a 
fliank-oS'ering — a  second  gift — all  the  golden 
ornaments,  as  bracelets,  rings,  etc.,  which  they 
had  received  as  booty.  It  brings  the  sum  of 
16,750  shekels  into  the  treasury  of  the  sanc- 
tuary. With  their  thanks,  they  recognize  their 
obligation  to  atone  for  their  souls,  their  lives, 
i.  e.,  they  acknowledge  their  marvelous  preser- 
vation as  an  undeserved  mercy,  since  on  account 
of  their  sinfulness  they  migiit  well  have  suf- 
fered death.  "An  atonement  for  our  souls. 
(See  Lev.  i.  4),  namely  in  the  feeling  that  they 
were  not  worthy  of  any  such  grace,  not  because 
they  had  done  wrong  in  failing  to  destroy  all  the 
enemies  of  Jehovah.  [This  could  not  have  been 
any  real  atonement  for  any  error  or  sin,  such  as 
they  were  chargeable  with  in  neglecting  to  do  as 
they  were  told,  for  such  an  atonement,  as  they 
well  knew,  would  have  required  a  bloody  offer- 
ing. The  very  magnitude  of  the  mercy  makes 
them  more  sensible  of  their  unworthiness  of  it, 
and   awakens    deeper    gratitude. — A.  G.].      Be- 


CHAP.  XXXII.   1-42. 


16» 


sides  these  thank-offerings,  the  captains  had 
taken  other  spoil  of  the  nation  which  remained 
in  their  possession. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

The  avenging  march  against  the  Midianites, 
as  the  after-piece  to  the  drama  of  judgment 
(chap.  XXV.),  wherein  the  Jews  had  made  an 
atonement,  but  not  the  Midianites ;  and  as  a 
preface  to  the  storm  which  should  come  upon 
the  Canaanites,  was  designed  to  draw  at  once  a 
broad  line  of  demarcation  between  Judaism  and 
heathenism,  and  to  impress  the  Israelitish  people 
with  an  inextinguishable  abhorrence  of  the 
cruelties  and  abominations  of  a  lustful  cultus. 

[Israel,  as  *he  sacred  people  of  God,  now 
restored  to  His  favor,  must  execute  His  judg- 
ment and  vengeance  upon  His  enemies.  As 
Jehovah  is  Israel's  God,  who  has  bound  Himself 
with  them,  so  every  attack  upon  Israel  is  an 
attack  upon  God.  The  analogy  which  holds 
between  the  war  of  Israel  against  the  Midianites 
and  the  Christian  warfare  of  all  the  people  of 
God  against  His  foes  and  theirs,  is  suggestive 
and  instructive.  The  Midianites  suffering  their 
just  desert  at  the  hands  of  Israel,  whom  they 
had  brought  into  sin,  is  only  an  instance  of  a 
general  principle,  which  finds  frequent  illustra- 
tion in  history. — A.  G.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 
The  dark  and  fearful  enigmas  in  the  world's 


history.  In  the  theocratic  history,  they  are 
illuminated  by  the  word  of  God,  and  stand  out 
as  judicial  visitations.  And  indeed  according 
to  impartial  justice.  For  as  Jehovah  here  al- 
lows the  Israelites  to  prevail  over  the  heathen 
Midianites,  so  afterwards  as  the  Lord  of  Hosts 
He  allows  the  heathen  to  prevail  over  the  Israel- 
ites. But  the  world-historical  judgments  are 
always  preventives  of  endless  corruption ;  e.  g. 
preventing  the  permanent  lapse  of  the  people 
into  a  lustful  worship  by  the  poisoning  of  their 
fancies  and  morals.  Thus  often  humanity  is 
saved  by  the  remedies  of  fire  and  brimstone 
from  the  fearful  corruptions  of  the  sexual  life. 
The  war  of  extermination  destroyed  on  ihe  one 
hand  a  nest  of  corruption,  a  great  hotbed  of  im- 
purity, and  on  the  other  hand  opened  an  abyss 
between  the  heathenish  depravity  (in  which  the 
union  of  vice  with  religious  enthusiasm  and  the 
general  debased  condition  of  a  whole  people 
come  info  view)  and  the  family  life  of  Israel. 
The  booty.  Its  explanation  is,  that  it  was  pro- 
perty without  an  owner,  and  that  as  such  it  was 
a  gift  from  .Jehovah.  Finally  these  facts  in  the 
history  of  Israel  are  obscured  by  considering 
them  out  of  their  connection  in  time  and  place. 
This  is  true  of  all  historical  facts.  [We  are  all 
called  to  essentially  the  same  warfare,  and  may 
not  shrink  from  it.  The  Christian  called  to  be 
the  executioner  of  judgment  upon  his  own  sins. 
The  tendency  to  spare  those  which  wear  the 
most  attractive  appearance  must  be  restrained. 
The  deep-lying  corruption  in  the  tendency  to 
self-worship. — A.  G.] 


NINTH   SECTION. 

The  grant  of  the  conquered  land  beyond  the  Jordan  to  Reuben,  Gad,  and  the 

half  tribe  of  Manasseb. 

Chapter  XXXII.  1-42. 

1  Now  the  children  of  Reuben  and  the  children  of  Gad  had  a  very  great  multi- 
tude of  cattle :  and  when  they  saw  the  land  of  Jazer,  and  the  land  of  Gilead,  that, 

2  behold,  the  place  was  a  place  for  cattle ;  The  children  of  Gad  and  the  children  of 
Reuben  came  and  spake  unto  Moses,  and  to  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  unto  the 

3  princes  of  the  congregation,  saying,  Ataroth,  and  Dibon,  and  Jazer,  and  Nirarah, 

4  and  Heshbon,  and  Elealeh,  and  Shebam,  and  Nebo,  aud  Been,  Even  the  country 
which  the  Lord  smote  before  the  congregation  of  Israel,  is  a  land  for  cattle,  and  thy 

5  servants  have  cattle :  Wherefore,  said  they,  if  we  have  found  grace  in  thy  sight, 
let  this  land  be  given  unto  thy  servants  for  a  possession,  and  bring  us  not  over 
Jordan. 

6  And  Moses  said  unto  the  children  of  Gad  and  to  the  children  of  Reuben,  Shall 

7  your  brethren  go  to  war,  and  shall  ye  sit  here  ?  And  wherefore  'discourage  ye  the 
heart  of  the  children  of  Israel  from  going  over  into  the  land  which  the  Lord  hath 

8  given  them  ?     Thus  did  your  fathers,  when  I  sent  them  from  Kadesh-barnea  to  see 

9  the  land.  For  when  they  went  up  unto  the  valley  of  Eshcol,  and  saw  the  land, 
they  discouraged  the  heart  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  should  not  go  into 


170  NUMBERS. 


10  the  land  wliich  the  Lord  had  given  them.     And  the  Lord's  anger  was  kindled 

11  the  same  time,  and  he  sware,  saying,  Surely  none  of  the  men  that  came  up  out  of 
Egypt,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  shall  see  the  land  which  I  sware  unto 
Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob ;  because  they  have  not  wholly  Allowed 

12  me:  Save  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenezite,  and  Joshua  the  sou  of  Nun: 

13  for  they  have  wholly  followed  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord's  anger  was  kindled 
against  Israel,  and  he  made  them  wander  in  the  wilderness  forty  years,  until  all 

14  the  generation,  that  had  done  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  was  consumed.  And 
behold,  ve  are  risen  up  in  your  fathers'  stead,  an  increase  of  sinful  men,  to  aug- 

15  ment  yet  the  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord  toward  Israel.  For  if  ye  turn  away  from 
after  him,  he  will  yet  again  leave  them  in  the  wilderness ;  and  ye  shall  destroy 
all  this  people. 

16  And  they  came  near  unto  him,  and  said.  We  will  build  sheep-folds  here  for  our 

17  cattle,  and  cities  for  our  little  ones :  But  we  ourselves  will  go  ready  armed  before 
the  children  of  Israel,  until  we  have  brought  them  unto  their  place :  and  our  little 

18  ones  shall  dwell  in  the  fenced  cities,  because  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  land.  We 
will  not  return  unto  our  houses,  until  the  children  of  Israel  have  inherited  every 

19  man  his  inheritance :  For  we  will  not  inherit  with  them  on  yonder  side  Jordan,  or 
forward ;  because  our  inheritance  is  fallen  to  us  on  this  side  Jordan  eastward. 

20  And  Moses  said  unto  them,  If  ye  will  do  this  thing,  if  ye  will  go  armed  before 

21  the  Lord  to  war.  And  will  go  all  of  you  armed  over  Jordan  before  the  Lord,  until 

22  he  hath  driven  out  his  enemies  from  before  him.  And  the  land  be  subdued  before 
the  Lord  :  then  afterward  ye  shall  return,  and  be  guiltless  before  the  Lord,  and 

23  before  Israel ;  and  this  land  shall  be  your  possession  before  the  Lord.  But  if  ye 
will  not  do  so,  behold,  ye  have  sinned  against  the  Lord:  and  be  sure  your  sin  will 

24  find  you  out.     Build  you  cities  for  your  little  ones,  and  folds  for  your  sheep ;   and 

25  do  that  which  hath  proceeded  out  of  your  mouth.  And  the  children  of  Gad  and 
the  children  of  Reuben  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Thy  servants  will  do  as  my  lord 

26  commandeth.     Our  little  ones,  our  wives,  our  flocks,  and  all  our  cattle,  shall  be 

27  there  in  the  cities  of  Gilead :  But  thy  servants  will  pass  over,  every  man  armed 

28  for  war,  before  the  Lord  to  battle,  as  my  lord  saith.  So  concerning  them  Moses 
commanded  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  the  chief  fathers 

29  of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel :  And  Moses  said  unto  them.  If  the  children 
of  Gad  and  the  children  of  Reuben  will  pass  with  you  over  Jordan,  every  man 
armed  to  battle,  before  the  Lord,  and  the  land  shall  be  subdued  before  you ;  then 

30  ye  shall  give  them  the  land  of  Gilead  for  a  possession  :  But  if  they  will  not  pass 
over  with  you  armed,  they  shall  have  possessions  among  you  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

31  And  the  children  of  Gad  and  the  children  of  Reuben  answered,  saying,  As  the 

32  Lord  hath  said  unto  thy  servants,  so  will  we  do.  We  will  pass  over  armed  before 
the  Lord  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  that  the  possession  of  our  inheritance  on  this 

33  side  Jordan  may  he  ours.  And  Moses  gave  unto  them,  even  to  the  children  of  Gad, 
and  to  the  children  of  Reuben,  and  unto  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  the  son  of 
Joseph,  the  kingdom  of  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  and  the  kingdom  of  Og  king  of 
Bashan,  the  land,  with  the  cities  thereof  in  the  coasts,  even  the  cities  of  the  country 
round  about. 

34,  35     And  the  children  of  Gad  built  Dibon,  and  Ataroth,  and  Aroer,  And  Atroth, 

36  Shophaii,  and  'Jaazer,  and  Jogbehah,  And  *Beth-nimrah,  and  Beth-haran,  fenced 

37  cities  ;  and  folds  for  sheep.    And  the  children  of  Reuben  built  Heshbon,  and  Elea- 

38  leh,  and  Kirjathaim,  And  Nebo,  and  Baal-meon,  (their  names  being  changed,)  and 

39  Shibmah ;  and  ^rave  other  names  unto  the  cities  which  they  builded.  And  the 
children  of  Machir  the  son  of  Manasseh  went  to  Gilead,  and  took  it,  and  dispos- 

40  sessed  the  Amorite  which  was  in  it.      And  Moses  gave  Gilead  unto  Machir  the  son 

41  of  Manasseh  ;  and  he  dwelt  therein.     And  Jair  the  son  of  Manasseh  went  and  took 

42  the  small  towns  thereof,  and  called  them  Havoth-jair.  And  Nobah  went  and  took 
Kenath,  and  the  villages  thereof,  and  called  it  Nobah,  after  his  own  name. 

1  Marp.  hrmk.  2  Marg.  fnlfilled  after  me.  »  Marg.  vers.  1  and  3,  Jazerr. 

*  Marg.  vcr.  3,  Nimrah.  »  Marg.  they  caUe'd  hy  names  the  names  of  the  cities. 


CHAP.  XXXII.  1-42 


171 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  7.  nNUn  to  disallow  or  hinder.    They  withdrew  their  own  support,  and  brought  the  people  to  abandon 

the  purpose.— HiKSCH.   The  Keri  nX'jn  is  a  preferable  reading.    See  ver.  9.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  16.  IJSCaS,  used  here  as  in  2  Chron.  xxxi.  18  ;  Gen.  xlvii.  12,  to  include  the  whole  family  except  the 

head;  all  the  defenceless.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  23.  But  ye  shall  know  your  sin,  which  shall  overtake  you ;  come  upon  you.— A.  G.] 
[Ver.  35.  Should  be  Atroth  Shophan ;  omit  comm.— A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

The  key  to  the  understanding  of  the  short  and 
strange  conflict  which  threatened  for  a  time  to 
break  out  between  the  tribes,  or  rather  a  schis- 
Jiatic  portion  of  the  tribes,  and  the  theocratic 
unity  represented  by  Moses,  lies,  as  Keil  follow- 
ing 0.  Von  Gerlach  urges,  by  reading  the 
imperfects  in  ver.  39  f^eq.  as  pluperfects ;  thus 
the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh  had  gone  and  con- 
quered the  region  of  Og  king  of  Bashan.  As 
the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh  were  prominent  in 
the  conquest,  so  also  it  is  assumed  that  the  tribes 
of  Reuben  and  Gad  were  conspicuous  in  the 
earlier  war  with  Sihon,  and  thus  we  may  ex- 
plain their  present  wealth  in  flocks  and  herds, 
following  so  soon  upon  their  poverty  in  this 
respect.  As  they  shared  equally  with  the  other 
tribes  in  the  Midianitish  plunder,  their  peculiar 
wealth  in  cattle  may  have  resulted  from  their 
prominent  part  in  the  greater  victories.  Now, 
however,  things  took  shape  in  such  a  way  as  to 
lead  them  to  make  their  request,  which  at  all 
events  was  expressed  in  a  very  faulty  method. 
The  land  beyond  the  Jordan  (this  is  already  the 
style  adopted  in  the  narration),  the  land  of 
Gilead,  in  the  first  place  appeared  to  theaa  from 
its  rich  pasturage  to  be  peculiarly  adapted  to 
their  uses,  regarding  their  large  possessions  in 
cattle,  and  then  in  the  second  place  this  land 
seemed  to  be  without  an  owner,  as  it  was  not 
included  literally  in  the  promised  land,  and  still 
further  they  seemed  to  themselves  to  have  ac- 
quired a  special  claim  upon  it.  As  to  their 
peculiar  relationship  in  the  warlike  camp,  it 
may  be  noted  that  the  tribes  of  Reuben  and  Gad 
belonged  to  the  same  division  of  the  host  which 
encamped  upon  the  south  (chap,  ii.),  while  the 
tribe  of  Manasseh  lay  upon  their  western  bor- 
der, in  immediate  contact  with  them.  Already 
in  the  blessing  of  Jacob  (Gen.  xlix.)  Reuben 
had  been  described  as  unstable  as  water,  as  a 
bubbling  spring,  and  Gad  was  praised  for  his 
martial  power,  and  Joseph,  i.  e.  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh  together,  is  blessed  also  for  his  valiant 
qualities.  The  martial  nature  of  Gad  was  cele- 
brated again  in  the  blessing  of  Moses.  It  is  well 
known  further  that  Gilead  was  glorified  espe- 
cially through  its  hero  Jepthae,  and  Gideon  also 
was  sprung  from  Manasseh,  although  not  from 
its  east-Jordan  division. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  way  of  the  request 
of  the  two  tribes,  Reuben  and  Gad,  if  modestly 
and  rightly  proposed,  as  the  result  shows.  For 
the  request  was  granted.  There  is  no  allusion 
to  any  request  by  the  half  tribe  of  Mannsseh. 
They    may  have   been  prevented   from  making 


any  by  their  connection  with  the  other  half  of 
the  tribe.  The  more  brilliant  was  the  distinc- 
tion which  fell  to  their  lot  uusought.  It  may 
appear  remarkable  that  Moses  should  have  com- 
mitted his  arrangement  in  their  favor,  as  a 
command  to  Joshua  and  the  high-priest,  without 
mentioning  the  lot.  Perhaps  the  division  of  the 
inheritance  of  Israel  by  lot,  may  have  been  con- 
fined to  the  heritage  in  Canaan.  However,  the 
request  of  the  two  tribes  sounded  at  first  so 
equivocal  that  Moses  felt  that  it  deserved  the 
strongest  expression  of  his  displeasure,  and  the 
denunciation  of  divine  wrath  upon  them.  Keil 
remarks:  "The  words  bring  us  not  over 
Jordan  may  be  understood  as  meaning  nothing 
more  than  the  desire  of  the  speakers  not  to  re- 
ceive their  inheritance  on  the  western  side  of 
Jordan,  without  desiring  to  withdraw  their  as- 
sistance from  the  other  tribes  in  the  conquest 
of  Canaan,  as  they  subsequently  explain  (ver. 
16),  or  they  may  be  understood  as  expressing  a 
wish  to  settle  at  once  in  the  land  east  of  Jordan, 
and  leave  the  other  tribes  to  conquer  Canaan 
alone.  Moses  understood  the  words  in  the  latter 
sense  (ver.  6seq.),  and  probably  they  seem  so 
inteuded,  since  when  Moses  reproved  them,  the 
speakers  did  not  reply,  that  they  had  not  enter- 
tained the  meaning  attributed  to  tliem,  but  sim- 
ply restricted  themselves  to  the  promise  of  co- 
operation in  the  conquest  of  Canaan.  But  even 
in  this  sense  their  request  did  not  manifest  a 
"  shanielessness  which  could  not  be  historically 
true"  (KNOBEii),  but  may  be  explained  from  the 
opinion  they  cherished,  and  which  is  perfectly 
intelligible  after  the  rapid  and  easy  defeat  of 
the  two  mighty  kings  of  the  Amorites,  Sihon 
and  Og,  that  the  other  tribes  were  quite  strong 
enough  to  conquer  the  land  of  Canaan  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Jordan."  Moreover,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  suppose  that  the  alternatives  en- 
tered their  minds.  They  might  have  uttered 
their  wish  without  full  reflection  upon  the  two 
possible  consequences;  otherwise  the  reproof  of 
Moses  would  scarcely  have  brought  them  to 
declare  that  they  were  ready  to  battle  in  the 
front  of  the  Israelitish  army  until  all  Canaan 
should  be  conquered.  This  history  is  further  a 
'^lorious  example  of  the  sacredness  and  blessing 
of  national  unity.  [The  attempt  of  Knobel  to 
cut  this  chapter  into  pieces  and  to  assign  its 
parts  severally  to  the  Elohist  and  Jehovist,  in 
the  fashion  of  the  critics,  scarcely  merits  the 
notice  which  Keil  gives  it.  It  is  a  fair  instance, 
however,  of  how  violent  and  arbitrary  a  course 
these  critics  take.  Vers.  1,  2,  16-19.  24,  28-30 
and  33-b8  are  attributed  to  the  Elo'iist,  and  the 
remainder,  vers.  3-5,  6-15.  20-23,  25-27,  31,  32, 
and  39-42  to   the  Jehovist.     The  grounds  upon 


172 


NUMBERS. 


which  the  assumption  rests  are  some  diversity 
in  the  language,  especially  in  the  proper  names 
used,  and  mainly  upon  the  notion  of  the  critic 
that  it  is  improbable  that  the  two  tribes  would 
have  been  so  shameless  as  to  wish  to  remain  on 
the  eastern  side  of  Jordan,   and  leave  the  con- 
quest of  Canaan   to  the  other  tribes;  and  that 
their  subsequent  willingness  to  help  their  breth- 
ren, which  they  afterwards  express,  is  irrecon- 
cilable with  their  selfish  intention  in  their   ear- 
lier request.     But  history  is   not    surely   to   be 
interpreted  according  to  the  fancy  of  critics — 
their  notions   of  what  men  would  do  or   not  do 
thousands  of  years  after  tlie  occurrences  it  re- 
lates— nor  is  it  so  strange   a  thing  surely  that 
an  earlier  and  selfish  intention  should  be  aban- 
doned when  its  real  nature  and  consequences 
are  seen  and  reflected  upon.     For  the  assumed 
diversities  in  the  test,  see  the  exegesis. — A.  G.] 
Vers.  1-5.    The  request  of  the  two  tribes.     Tbey 
call  the  land  which  they  desire  Jazer  and  Gilead^ 
including  southern  Persea,  in  which  Jnzer  was 
situated,  and  the  northern  part  of  Peraea  also. 
"Gilead  was  the  land  to  the  south  and  the  north 
of  Jabbok,  the  modern  provinces  of  the  Belka 
in  the  south,  between  the  Jabbok  and  the  Arnon, 
and  Jebel  Ajlun  to  the  north  of  the  Jabbok   as 
far   as    Mandhur.     Ancient  Gilead    still    shows 
numerous  traces  of  great   fertility,  even   in  its 
present  desolation,  covered   over  as   it  is  with 
hundreds  of  ruins  of  old  towns  and  hamlets." 
Keil.     ["All  travellers  in  Gilead,  the  modern 
Belka,  bear  \vitness  to  its  richness,  as  compared 
with  the  country  to  the  west  of  the  Jordan.     Its 
general  character  is  that  of  an  upland   pasture, 
undulating  and   thickly  timbered.     In   the  last 
respect  its  northern  portion  excels  its  southern; 
but  for  fertility  of  soil  the  southern  province  is 
preferred  by  the   Arabs,    in   whose  lips  it  has 
passed  into  a  proverb :   "Thou  canst  not  find  a 
country     like    the    Belka."       Bib.    Com.       See 
Robinson's    Researches,    App.,    Ritter,    Erdk.^ 
Vol.  XV.,  Tristram's  Land  of  Israel. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  4.  'Which  the  Lord  smote  before 
the  congregation,  indicating  that  it  was  now 
unoccupied  and  ownerless,  and  therefore  pre- 
sented as  a  strong  reason  why  it  should  be 
assigned  to  them. — A.  G.]  The  oflFensive  part 
of  the  request  comes  out  in  the  final  sentence: 
"  Let  us  not  go  over  Jordan,  or  so  we  will  not 
cross  the  Jordan."  [They  seem  to  have  been 
half  conscious  that  their  proposal  would  not  be 
favorably  received.  They  gather  up  all  their 
courage  to  put  their  request,  and  then  entreat 
for  it  as  a  signal  favor.  If  they  had  been  clear 
in  their  own  minds,  and  without  a  sense  that 
their  proposition  involved  the  forsaking  of  their 
brethren,  they  would  have  asked  at  once  and 
without  the  frequent  pauses  with  which  they 
venture  now  to  break  their  request. —  \.  G.]  It 
is  remarkable,  that  according  to  ver.  2  the  chil- 
dren of  Gad  take  the  lead.  [The  same  thing  is 
observable  throughout  the  narrative.  The  Reu- 
beniicB  are  named  first  (ver.  1)  because  their 
ancestor  was  the  elder;  but,  ver.  6  (and  see 
Deul.  xxxiii.  20,  21),  Gad  assumes,  what  his 
greater  vigor  and  boldness  entitled  him  to,  the 
position  of  a  leader,  and  the  instigator  in  the 
whole  proce'lure. — .\.  G.]  It  is  no  less  observa- 
ble that  their  claim  may  have  formed  a  preiu- 


I'.ice  against  the  merits  of  the  half  tribe  of  Ma- 
il isseh. 

Vers.  6-15.  The  reproof  of  Moses.  Their  request 
is  taken  in  the  strictest  and  most  literal  sense. 
Moses  at  first  holds  up  their  unbrotherly  thought 
and  its  flagrant  injustice  (ver.  6),  and  then  the  evil 
example  which  they  would  set  for  Israel  (27). 
He  compares  their  conduct  with  the  cowardice 
of  the  spies  who  disheartened  the  people  before- 
hand and  brought  upon  them  the  judgment  of 
God,  by  which  the  entire  generation  had  fallen 
in  the  wilderness,  the  two  well-known  heroes 
excepted.  It  was  their  fault  that  Israel  did  not 
enter  upon  its  inheritance,  and  you  now  arise 
as   an    aftergrowth,  a  propagation    (n^3"^n),    a 

brood  of  such  sinners  (timid  unbelievers),  to 
arouse  still  once  more  the  anger  of  Jehovaii,  to 
renew  the  doom  of  tarrying  in  the  wilderness, 
and  thus  destroy  the  people  altogether,  now  so 
near  the  goal  of  all  their  strivings.  The  Keri 
here  is  to  be  preferred  to  the  Kethib.  See  ver. 
9.  To  turn  or  hold  avv^ay  the  heart:  a 
very    remarkable    expression    (see    Text.   Note). 

The  ^_}1,   ver.  13,  He  drove  them  about  in  the 

desert,  made  them  go  here  and  there,  corre- 
sponds with  the  S<-"IJ  here.  See  James  i.  8.  Ver. 
15.  If  ye  turn  away  from  after  him. 
Lange:  If  ye  draw  back  behind  Him.  The  re- 
cusants who  draw  back  from  the  leading  of  God, 
destroy  themselves,  and  the  nation  with  them. 

Vers.  16-19.  The  explanation,  of  the  tribes. 
They  come  near  to  Moses,  as  an  expression  of 
their  good  conscience.  Their  real  thought  is 
uttered  in  the  words:  "We  Twill  go  ready 
armed  before  the  children  of  Israel ;  but 
■we  will  not  inherit  w^ith  them  beyond 
the  Jordan,  but  let  our  inheritance  fall  to  us 
on  this  side*  of  Jordan  eastward.  They  will 
first  erect  folds  or  pens  for  their  cattle  and 
build  cities,  /.  e.  fortify  the  cities  already  built, 
for  their  children,  or  families ;  but  they  them- 
selves will  arm  themselves  hastily  in  order  to 
march  before  the  children  of  Israel  to  the  con- 
quest of  the  land,  and  will  not  return  until  every 
tribe  ha(s  secured  its  possession.  [Hirsch  : 
"The  words  of  the  sons  of  Gad  and  Reuben 
betray  their  overmastering  love  of  their  posses- 
sions. Their  herds  lie  nearer  their  hearts  than 
their  children  ;  hence  first  protect  their  herds, 
then  when  they  were  secure,  their  families. 
The  alluring  pastures  led  them  to  endanger 
their  spiritual  connection  with  the  national 
unity  and  with  the  sanctuary.  In  the  reply  of 
Moses,  ver.  24,  the  order  is  carefully  reversed." 
— A.  G.]  The  phraseology  of  their  promise  is 
purposely  boastful  and  martial  in  its  tone ;  but 
at  the  close  of  his  campaigns  Joshua  (xxii.  1 
seq.)  could  dismiss  them  with  the  testimony  that 
they  had  fulfilled  their  word.  Yet  even  then 
they  gave  occasion  for  reproof  (Josh.  xxii.  10), 
which  was,  however,  by  their  explanation  proved 


*   [The    Heb.  uses  the  same  word  here    "l^^D  to 

designate  the  east  and  the  west  side  of  the  .Jordan. 
See  also  ver.  32,  which,  howevfir.  does  not  refer  to  the 
western  side  of  Jordan,  as  Brii.  Com.  says.  It  is  clear, 
however,  that  the  term  is  used  with  considerable  free- 
dom, and  while  nsiiall.v  applied  to  the  eastern  side,  it 
had  not  yet  acquired  "that  strict  and  technical  sens* 
See  Deut.  L  1.— A.  G.] 


CHAP.    XXXir.  1-42. 


173 


to  be  groundless,  but  serves  to  show  how  jeal- 
ously at  that  time  the  national  unity  was 
guarded.  [It  was  not,  however,  as  that  narra- 
tive shows,  merely  ihe  national  unity  which  was 
concerned,  but  rather  their  loyalty  to  their  faith 
and  worship.  The  cases  are  not  parallel.  Here 
their  boastfulness  betrays  a  consciousness  of 
the  selfish  motive  in  which  their  request  took  its 
origin,  but  which,  detected  and  reproved,  they 
now  cover  up  with  their  conspicuous  proifer  of 
zeal  and  service.  There  was  nothing  of  this 
when  they  returned  from  the  conquest. — A.  G.] 

Vers.  20-24.  The  consent  of  Moses.  He  now 
grants  their  request  upon  their  promise,  but 
still  impresses  upon  them  the  evil  consequences 
which  would  surely  come  upon  them  if  they 
should  desert  their  brethren,  and  now  in  addi- 
tion violate  their  word.  The  expression  is  so- 
lemn and  earnest.  If  you  arm  yourselves  for 
battle  before  Jehovah,  i.  e.  in  perfect  sworn 
sincerity,  then  let  every  one  bearing  arms  pass 
over  Jordan,  fully  armed,  determined,  before 
Jehovah.  No  one  should  go  with  them  for  the 
sake  of  appearance,  or  with  a  half  heart.  Until 
:he  land  is  actually  sub'jued  before  Jehovah, 
and  not  merely  according  to  their  judgment, 
biassed  by  their  longing  for  their  homes.  That 
done,  they  may  return  and  be  held  guiltless 
[i.  e.  freed  from  oV)ligation,  their  duty  discharged, 
— A.  G.]  before  Jehovah  as  well  as  before  Israel, 
and  then  also  first  will  they  have  right  to  their 
land  as  a  possession  before  the  Lord.  [Keil: 
"The  expression  'before  the  Lord'  may  mean 
that  in  the  war  which  they  waged  at  the  com- 
mand of  God,  the  Israelites  were  the  army  of 
Jehovah,  with  .Jehovah  in  the  midst.  And  hence 
we  may  easily  see  why  the  children  of  Gad  and 
Reuben  do  not  use  these  words  in  ver,  17,  be- 
cause they  only  promised  to  go  before  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  i.  e.  to  help  their  brethren  to  con- 
quer Canaan.  Later  they  also,  taught  by  Moses, 
adopt  the  expression  before  Jehovah,  ver.  32." 
— A.  G.]  Then  follows  the  threatening:  if  ye 
do  not  keep  your  word,  you  shall  learn  how 
your  sin  will  find  you  out.  A  striking  desig- 
nation of  the  judgment.  Upon  the  supposi- 
tion of  their  truthfulness,  they  may  now  se- 
cure their  families  and  flocks.  [Be  sure 
your  sin  will  find  you  out.  Bib.  Com. : 
"  Your  sin  will  bring  its  own  punishment  along 
with  it."  Keil:  "  Ye  will  have  to  make  atone- 
ment for  them."  HiRSCH :  "Sin  follows  in  its 
results,  the  sinner."  They  would  in  no  way 
escape  its  punishment. — A.  G.].* 

Vers.  25-82.  The  agreement. — The  children 
of  Gad  appear  again  in  the  front.  Upon  their 
renewed  promise,  Moses  gives  his  assent  in  the 
shape  of  a  command  addressed  to  the  high-priest, 
to  Joshua,  and  to  the  heads  of  the  houses  of  the 
fathers,   since  Moses   knew   that   he  would  not 

*  [Hiesch:  "This  conditional  agreement  with  the 
sons  of  Gad  and  Rsuben  is  the  olassic  example  in  the 
Jewish  jurisprudence  of  the  most  binding  form  of  an 
act  upon  a  conditioa  stated.  It  is  necessary,  a)  that  the 
eondition,  with  its  results  fulfilled  or  unfulfilled,  must 
be  clearly  stated,  and  not  merely  implied,  b)  The  con- 
dition must  precede  the  facts,  c)  That  the  affirmative 
ease  should  precede  the  negative.  _  d)  The  condition 
must  not  contain  anything  destructive  of  the  facts,  or 
which  will  prevent  tlieir  accomplishment,  e)  That  the 
facts  must  be  such  as  can  be  accomplished,  as  were  the 
division  and  possession  of  the  land." — A.  G.]. 


live  to  see  its  accomplishment.  The  alternative 
which  he  adds  in  case  the  two  tribes  do  not  pro- 
ceed before  them,  armed  for  the  conquest,  is  al- 
together peculiar.  They  shall  then  be  settled 
in  the  midst  of  the  other  tribes  in  the  land  of 
Canaan.  This  seems  to  imply  not  only  that 
in  such  case,  they  should  not  be  permitted  to  poSi- 
sess  the  land  east  of  the  Jordan,  but  also  that 
they,  according  to  the  will  of  the  people  in  Ca.- 
naan — but  not  as  two  sepai-ate  and  independent 
tribes — should  be  distributed  among  the  others. 
The  two  tribes  recognize  this  decision  as  the 
word  of  Jehovah,  and  now  comes  the  solemn  vow 
that  they  will  go  armed  before  Jehovah  over  into 
Canaan,  and  that  only  under  this  provision  will 
they  hope  or  expect  I  o  have  their  possession  on  this 
side  (east)  of  the  Jordan.  The  compact  is  thus 
concluded.  [Ver.  32.  That  the  possession  of 
our  inheritance  on  the  side  of  Jordan 
may  be  ours,  not  merely  as  Keil,  "that  it  may 
reniivin  to  us;"  east  of  Jordan  rather  than  west. 
It  is  rather  that  they  recognize  and  express  the 
fact,  that  their  possession  is  suspended  upon 
their  fulfilling  the  condition.  Not  until  every 
tribe  receives  its  inheritance  will  they  receive 
theirs.  Legally  and  formally  they  entered  upon 
their  inheritance  when  they  returned  from  the 
wars  of  the  conquest. — A.  G.]. 

Vers.  33-42.  The  investiture.  Comp.  this 
Commentary  upon  Joshua  xiii.  It  is  now  that 
the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh  is  first  named.  Al- 
though they  had  not  urged  their  claims  upon  the 
ground  of  their  merits,  Moses  places  them,  the 
half  tribe,  by  the  side  of  the  two  tribes,  as  having 
equal  claims,  and  the  narrative  dwells  with  plea- 
sure upon  the  attribute  of  Manasseh,  as  "the 
son  of  Joseph."  The  two  conquered  Amoritish 
kingdoms,  constituted  the  grant  in  the  main. 
Then  follows  a  record  of  the  fortification  of  the 
cities  for  their  families,  and  the  folds  for  their 
flocks  and  herds.  [The  first  mention  of  the 
half-tribe  of  Manasseh  here  is  just  in  its  proper 
place.  They  bad  not  urged  their  claims,  but 
Moses  in  distributing  the  land,  assigns  to  the 
half  tribe  its  portion  from  a  sense  of  right  and 
justice.  They  had  displayed  signal  valor,  and 
had  conquered  that  part  of  the  land.  He  recog- 
nized the  right  which  they  had  thus  acquired. 
It  is  clear  from  ver.  39  that  this  is  the  ground 
upon  which  they  appear  here,  and  also  why  only 
the  half  tribe  or  the  children  of  Machir.  It  was 
that  part  of  the  tribe  which  had  distinguished 
itself  in  the  conquest  and  which  now  receives 
its  reward. — A.  G.]. 

1.  The  Gadites. — Dibon  called  also  Dibon- 
Gad,  an  hour  northward  of  the  central  Arnon. 
["  Its  extensive  ruins  still  bear  the  name  Dhi- 
ban.  It  was  here  that  the  Moabite  stone  was 
discovered  in  1868  by  Rev.  T.  Klein.  It  is  reck- 
oned as  a  Reubenite  town,  Josh.  xiii.  9,  while  in 
Isa.  XV.  2  it  is  spoken  of  as  Moabite.  Occupied 
on  the  first  acquisition  of  the  territory  by  the 
Gadites,  and  assigned  by  Joshua  to  the  Reubeu- 
ites  when  the  boundaries  of  their  respective 
allotments  were  determined,  it  was  eventually 
recaptured  by  the  Moabites,  in  whose  hands  it 
remained." — A.  G.].— Ataroth,  i.  e.,  crowns,  pre- 
served in  the  ruins  of  Attarus  or  Jebel  Atta- 
rus,  was  seven  miles  north-east  of  Dibon. — Aroer 
of  Reuben  in  the  centre  of  the  valley  of  Arnoa. 


174 


NUMBERS. 


It  was  located  on  the  brink  of  the  rocky  ravine 
through  which  that  torrent  flows,  and  must  be 
distiiiguished  I'roiu  the  Aroer  before  Kabbah — 
Airith  Shophau.  [Bib.  Com.:  "It  probably 
lay  near  the  Aiaroili  above,  and  had  the  name 
Shophan  '  of  the  burrow  "  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  other  Ataroth." — A.  G.]. — Jaazer.  The  ruins 
Es  Szir — Jogbehah,  Judg.  viii.  11,  preserved  in 
the  ruins  of  Jebeiha.  Beth-Nimrah  (Nimrah), 
Josh.  xiii.  27,  also  ver.  3  in  the  valley  of  the 
Jordan  now  to  be  seen  in  the  ruins  Nimrein 
about  five  Roman  miles  north  of  Libias.  Beth- 
haran  (Josh.  xiii.  27,  Beth-aram).  ["'According 
to  Josephus  called  Julias,  in  honor  of  the  wife 
of  Auorustus.  It  has  been  preserved  in  the  ruins 
of  Ramah  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wady- 
Hesban."'  Keil.— A.  G.]. 

2.  The  Reubenites.  Heshbon,  the  resi- 
dence of  king  Sihou,  Josh.  xiii.  27.  Keil.  "It 
was  relinquished  to  the  Gadites  because  it  lay 
upon  the  border  of  their  territory,  and  by  them 
given  up  to  the  Levites  (Josh.  xxi.  39 ;  1  Chron. 
vi.  66).  It  stood  almost  in  the  centre  between 
the  Arnon  and  the  Jabbok,  opposite  to  Jericho, 
and  according  to  the  Onomast.,  twenty  Roman 
miles  from  the  Jordan,  where  large  ruins  are 
now  found  bearing  the  ancient  name  of  Hesban 
or  Hiisban."  Elealeh,  now  EI  Aal  the  height — 
Kirjathaim  probably  the  ruins  et  Teim  about 
three  miles  south  of  Heshbon — Nebo  on  mount 
Nebo — Baal-meon  with  changed  names.  The 
city  was  called  Beon  or  Beth-meon,  avoiding 
the  name  Baal.  The  ruins  Maein  or  Myun  not 
far  from  Heshbon.  [They  changed  the  names 
of  the  last  two  cities  probably  from  their  con- 
nection with  idolatrous  worship.  The  other  ci- 
ties retained  the  names  they  had,  or  as  some 
suppose,  the  Reubenites  restored  the  old  Moabite 
names  which  had  been  changed  under  the  Amo- 
rite  dominion.  Keil,  Bib.  Com.,  regard  Baal 
Meon  as  the  present  Myun.  "  The  city  must 
have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Moabites  be- 
fore the  days  of  Mesha,  who  speaks  of  himself 
as  having  there  built  a  temple,  no  doubt  to  Che- 
mosh,  and  as  having  fortified  it." — A.  G.].  Shib- 
mah.  According  to  Jerome,  near  Heshbon.  It 
has  apparently  disappeared,  not  leaving  a  trace 
behind.  [It  seems  however  to  be  alluded  to  in 
Isa.  xvi.  8,  where  it  appears  as  Sibmah,  noted 
for  its  vines.  On  the  difi"erence  in  the  names, 
vers.  3  and  36,  38,  Keil  remarks  that  it  cannot 
be  regarded  as  any  proof,  that  ver.  3  is  Jeho- 
vistic,  and  the  after  verses  Elohistic,  since  Baal- 
meon  is  itself  a  contraction  for  Beth-Baal-meon 
(Josh.  xiii.  17).  The  contraction  of  the  names 
in  ver.  3  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  diplo- 
matic exactness  was  not  requisite  in  a  historical 
account,  the  abbreviated  forms  in  common  use 
were  quite  sufficient. — A.  G.]. 

3.  The  Manassites.  Ver.  30.  Went,  had 
gone,  and  thus  understood  it  gives  the  rea- 
son why  the  Manassites  received  this  region,  (o 
wil,  the  kingdom  of  Bashan,  and  the  northern 
part  of  Gilead — tlie  Jebel-ajlun  between  the  Jab- 
bok and  the  Mandhur.  We  render  with  Keil, 
ver.  39.  ''  The  sons  of  Machir  the  son  of  Manas- 
seli,  had  gone  and  taken,"  etc.;  and  ver.  41,  and 
Jair  the  son  of  Manasseh  had  gone  and  taken, 
ete. ;  and  lastly,  ver.  42.  And  Nobah  had  gone 
and  taken,  etc.     The  sons  of  Machir  parted  into 


two  divisions  or  lines,  of  which  the  one  received 
northern  Gilead  (1  Chron.  v.  24)  while  the  other 
settled  in  Canaan  proper  (Josh.  xvii.).  Jair  has 
descended  on  his  father's  side  through  Segub, 
and  Hezron  from  Judah,  but  through  Hezron's 
intermarriage  with  a  daughter  of  Machir  he 
passed  over  into  the  tribe  of  his  mother,  con- 
trary to  the  general  rule.  See  Dent.  iii.  4  and 
14.  The  villages  which  he  had  taken  he  named 
after  his  own  name.  Finally  we  have  Nobah 
otherwise  unknown,  who  took  Kenath,  with  its 
daughters  or  dependent  villages,  and  called  them 
after  his  name  Nobah.  Kurtz  applies  the  name 
Nobah  to  the  village  Newa,  an  ancient  city  of 
ruins.  Kenath  afterward  lost  to  the  Syrians, 
1  Chron.  ii.  23,  alluded  to  by  Josephus,  Jekome 
and  Pliny,  comes  into  light  again  in  the  exten- 
sive ruins  called  Kanwat  and  inhabited  by 
Druses.  [Porter,  Giant  cities  of  Bashan,  gives 
a  full  and  elaborate  description  of  these  ruins. 
Kunawat.  ''  The  general  aspect  of  the  city  is 
very  striking — temples,  palaces,  churches,  thea- 
tres, and  massive  buildings  whose  original  use 
we  cannot  tell,  are  grouped  together  in  pic- 
turesque confusion,  while  beyond  the  walls,  in 
the  glen,  on  the  summits  and  sides  of  wooded 
peaks,  away  in  the  midst  of  oak  forests,  are  clus- 
ters of  columns  and  massive  towers  and  lofty 
tombs.  A  colossal  head  of  Ashteroth,  sadly 
broken,  lies  before  a  little  temple,  of  which  pro- 
bably it  was  once  the  chief  idol.  The  crescent 
moon  which  gave  the  goddess  the  name  Carnaim 
('two-horned')  is  on  her  brow.  I  saw  in  this 
a  visible  illustration  of  an  incidental  allusion  to 
this  ancient  goddess  in  the  very  earliest  histo- 
ric reference  to  Bashan.  We  read  in  Gen.  xiv. 
5  that  'the  kings  of  the  east'  on  their  way  to 
Sodom,  "smote  the  Rephaims  in  Ashteroth  Kar- 
naim.'  May  not  this  be  the  very  city  ?"  pp. 
42,  48.  The  Machirites  who  hold  so  prominent 
a  place  in  this  history,  were  only  a  part  of  the 
sons  of  Machir;  but  they  won  their  way  to  dis- 
tinction, so  that  they  are  called  Machir.  They 
drew  away  aiteution  from  the  other  member  of 
the  family.  They  were  led  by  bold,  energetic 
and  skillful  men,  and  the  rapid  conquest  of  the 
east  Jordan  country,  especially  its  northern  por- 
tion, was  largely  due  to  their  instrumentality. 
And  Jair  the  son  of  Manasseh  went  and 
took  the  small  tow^ns  thereof,  and  called 
them  Havoth-jair.  And  Nobah  went  and 
took  Kenath,  and  the  villages  thereof, 
and  called  it  Nobah  after  his  own  name. 
In  Dent.  iii.  14  this  whole  conquest  and  posses- 
sion is  ascribed  to  Jair  alone.  In  Deut.  iii.  4, 
the  cities  taken  and  named  were  sixty,  while  in 
1  Chron.  ii.  22,  23  we  read  Jair  had  twenty-three 
cities  in  Gilead,  and  Geshur  and  Aram  took  the 
towns  of  Jair  (Havoth-Jair)  from  them,  with  Ke- 
nath and  its  daughters,  sixty  towns.  This  pas- 
sage suggests  at  once  the  key  to  the  solution  of 
the  difficulty.  The  twenty-three  Havoth-Jair, 
with  Kenath  and  its  daughters  form  the  sixty 
towns  referred  to  in  Deuteronomy.  The  term 
Havoth-Jair  is  used  in  a  narrower  and  in  a  wider 
sense;  in  the  strict  or  narrow  sense  it  desig- 
nates those  which  Jair  himself  took,  who  was 
the  leading  chief  of  the  Machirites  in  Gilead,  and 
in  the  wider  sense  these  towns,  with  the  thirty- 
seven  of  Kenath  and  its  daughters.     The   pas- 


CHAP.  XXXIII.  1-49. 


175 


sage  here  and  in  Deut.  iii.  4  and  14,  and  in 
1  Chron.  ii.  23,  all  fall  into  perfect  harmony. 
As  Keil  says,  "Consequently  Bashan  or  the 
region  of  Argob,  with  its  sixty  fortified  towns, 
was  divided  between  two  of  the  leading  families 
of  Machir  the  Manassite,  the  families  of  Jair  and 
Nobah,  each  family  receiving  the  districts  it  had 
conquered,  viz.,  the  family  of  Nobah  Kenath 
and  its  daughters,  thirty-seven  towns  in  the  east- 
ern portion,  and  the  family  of  Jair  twenty-three 
towns  in  the  western.  In  Deuteronomy  when 
Moses  is  making  a  rapid  survey,  all  the  sixty 
towns  are  comprehended  under  the  name  Havoth- 
Jair — probably  because  Nobah  was  a  subordi- 
nate branch  of  the  family  of  Jair."  For  the 
descent  of  Jair  see  xxvii.  1,  and  comp.  Josh  xiii. 
.  13  and  xix.  34,  which  latter  passage  finds  its 
solution  in  the  text  1  Chron.  ii.  22.  23. — A.  G.]. 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

By  the  grant  of  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan, 
Israel  has  already  gained,  as  it  were,  a  foothold 
in  its  inheritance ;  but  no  scope  is  given  here 
for  the  process  of  disintegration. 

[As  the  conquest  of  the  Amorite  kingdoms  was 
preliminary  to  the  conquest  of  the  land  of  pro- 
mise literally,  so  this  distribution  of  the  land 
was  the  pledge  to  Israel  of  its  possessions.  It 
was  the  earnest  of  the  inheritance.  The  pro- 
mise included  more  than  the  literal  Canaan. 
There  was  nothing,  therefore,  wrong  in  the  re- 
quest itself,  nothing  premature  or  overhasty  iu 
the  time  at  which  it  was  made  ;  nothing  in  the 
thought  that  it  was  peculiarly  fitted  to  the  tastes 
and  habits  of  these  two  tribes,  but  in  the  spirit 
which  led  to  the  request — the  intention  expressed 
in  these  words,  bring  us  not  over  this  Jor- 
dan, to  forsake  their  brethren,  and  to  separate 
themselves  from  the  leadership  of  Moses  and  of 
Jehovah. 

Be  sure  your  sin  vrill  find  you  out.  The 
certainty  of  retribution.  The  statement  of  a 
principle  which  has  been  a  working  factor  in  all 
history,  but  which  has  its  final  application  in 
ihe  issues  of  the  future,  where  sin  itself  becomes 
our  avenger. — A.  G.]. 

HOMILETICAL    HINTS. 

The  law  of  the  unity  in  heart  and  conduct  of 
the  army  of  God,  as  the  indispensable  condition 


to  the  conquest  of  the  promised  land.  How  the 
Christian  world  has  failed  in  this  respect  in  its 
relations  to  the  heathen  world.  The  ancient 
Church  as  over  against  Mohammedanism.     The 

Protestant  world,  especially  in  its  theology,  in 
its  relations  to  Romanism  and  Jesuitism.  The 
danger  of  the  separation  of  the  tribes  is  avoided, 
1)  By  a  mutual  understanding  ;  2)  by  solemn 
warnings;  3)  by  brotherly  sacrifices;  4)  by 
wise  concessions. 

The  demand  of  the  tribes  of  Reuben  and  G:kI 
was  certainly,  while  unexplained,  in  the  sense  in 
which  Moses  understood  it,  in  the  highest  de- 
gree dangerous.  The  reproof  of  Moses  in  its 
application  to  all  times.  The  declaration  of 
heroic  faithfulness  on  the  part  of  the  reproved 
tribes.  The  peaceful  and  blessed  reconciliation. 
— [Henry  :  "  Two  things  common  in  this  world 
induced  these  tribes  to  make  this  choice,  and 
this  motion  upon  it,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the 
pride  of  life.  The  land  was  pleasant  to  the  eye, 
and  it  was  good  for  pasturage.  Perhaps  there 
was  something  of  pride  in  it  too.  These  tribes 
were  all  first-born.  They  may  have  been  striv- 
ing after  precedence,  and  assuming  that  their 
claims  must  first  be  met.  Too  many  seek  their 
own  things,  and  not  the  things  of  the  public 
good,  or  of  Christ,  and  so  take  up  short  of  the 
heavenly  Canaan.  Their  choice  implied:  1.  A 
contempt  of  the  land  of  promise  ;  2.  A  distrust 
of  the  power  of  God.  3.  A  neglect  of  the  in- 
terests of  their  brethren.  4.  An  undue  con- 
sulting of  their  own  convenience  and  wealth. — 
The  good  effect  of  plain,  faithful  dealing.  Moses, 
by  showing  to  them  their  sin  and  the  danger  of 
it,  brought  them  to  their  duty  without  murmur- 
ing or  disputing,  v.  23.  Sin  will  without  doubt 
find  out  the  sinner  sooner  or  later.  It  concerns 
us,  therefore,  to  find  out  our  sins,  that  we  may 
repent  of  them  and  forsake  them.  It  is  observa- 
ble that  as  these  tribes  were  now  first  placed, 
before  the  other  tribes,  so  long  afterward  they 
were  displaced  before  the  other  tribes."  Then 
afterward  ye  shall  return  and  this  shall  be  your 
possession.  No  full  and  legal  inheritance  for  any 
single  tribe  until  all  receive  their  possession.  The 
people  of  God  are  not  only  one  in  their  wari'are 
and  conquest,  but  in  their  possession.  A  com- 
mon warfare  and  peril,  a  common  triumph  and 
inheritance, — A.  G.] 


TENTH    SECTION. 

The  Review  of  the  Encampments. 
Chapter  XXXIII.  1-49. 

1  TiESE  are  the  journeys  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  went  forth  out  of  the 

2  land  of  Egypt  *with  their  armies  under  the  hand  of  Moses  and  Aaron.   And  Moses 
wrote  their  goings  out  according  to  their  journeys  by  the  commandment  of  the 

3  Lord  :  and  these  are  their  journeys  according  to  their  goings  out.     And  they  de- 
parted from  Rameses  in  the  first  month,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  first  month  ;  on 


176  NUMBERS. 


the  morrow  after  the  passover  the  children  of  Israel  went  out  with  a  high  hand  in 

4  the  sight  of  all  the  Egyptians.  For  the  Egyptians  ""buried  all  their  firstborn,  which 
the  Lord  had  smitten  among  them  :  upon  their  gods  also  the  Lord  executed  judg- 

5  ments.     And  the  children  of  Israel  ""removed  from  Rameses,  and  "^pitched  in  Suc- 

6  coth.     And  they  depaited  from  Succoth,  and  pitched  in  Etham,  which  is  in  the 

7  edge  of  the  wilderness.     And  they  removed  from  Etham,  and  turned  again  unto 

8  Pi-hahiroth,  which  is  before  Baal-zejDhou  :  and  they  pitched  before  Migdol.  And 
they  departed  from  before  Pi-hahiroth,  and  passed  through  the  midst  of  the  sea 
into  the  wilderness,  and  went  three  days'  journey  in  the  wilderness  of  Etham,  and 

9  pitched  in  Marah.  And  they  removed  from  Marah,  and  came  unto  Elim :  and  in 
Elim  were  twelve  fountains  of  water,  and  threescore  and  ten  palm  trees  ;  and  they 

10  pitched  there.     And  they  removed  from  Elim,  and  encamped  by  the  Eed  sea. 

11  And  they  removed  from  the  Red  sea,  and  encamped  in  the  Avilderness  of  Sin. 

12  And  they  took  their  journey  out  of  the  wilderness  of  Sin,  and  encamped  in  Doph- 
13,  14  kah.     And  they  departed  from  Dophkah,  and  encamped  in  Alush.     And  they 

removed  from  Alush,  and  encamped  at  Rephidini,  where  was  no  water  for  the  peo- 

15  pie  to  drink.     And  they  departed  from  Rephidim,  and  pitched  in  the  wilderness 

16  of  Sinai.     And  they  removed  from  the  desert  of  Sinai,  and  pitched  at  ^Kibroth- 

17  hattaavah.  And  they  departed  from  Kibroth-hattaavah,  and  encamped  at  Haze- 
18,  19  roth.     And  they  departed  from  Hazeroth,  and  pitched  in  Eithmah     And  they 

20  departed  from  Rithmah,  and  pitched  at  Rimraon-parez.     And  they  departed  from 

21  Rimmon-parez,  and  pitched  in  Libnah.     And   they   removed  from  Libnah,  and 

22  pitched  at  Rissah.  And  they  journeyed  from  Rissah,  and  pitched  in  Kehelathah. 
23,  24  And  they  went  from  Kehelathah,  and  pitched  in  mount  Shapher.     And  they 

25  removed  from  mount  Shapher,  and  encamped  in  Haradah.     And  they  removed 

26  from  Haradah,  and  pitched  in  Makheloth.     And  they  removed  from  Makheloth, 

27  and  encamped  at  Tahath.  And  they  departed  from  Tahath,  and  pitched  at  Tarah. 
28,  29  And  they  removed  from  Tarah,  and  pitched  in  Mithcah.  And  they  went  fi'om 
30  Mithcah,  and  pitched  in  Hashmonah.  And  they  departed  from  Hashmonah,  and 
81  encamped  at  Moseroth.  And  they  departed  from  Moseroth,  and  pitched  in  Bene- 
32  jaakan.  And  they  removed  from  Bene-jaakan,  and  encamped  at  Hor-hagidgad. 
33,  34  And  they  went  from  Hor-hagidgad,  and  jiitched  in  Jotbathah.     And  they  re- 

35  moved  from  Jotbathah,   and  encamped  at  Ebronah.     And  they  departed  from 

36  Ebronah,  and  encamped  at  Ezion-gaber.     And  they  removed  from  Ezion-gaber, 

37  and  pitched  in  the  Avilderness  of  Zin,  which  is  Kadesh.     And   they  removed  from 

38  Kadesh,  and  pitched  in  mount  Hor,  in  the  edge  of  the  land  of  Edom.  And  Aaron 
the  priest  went  up  into  mount  Hor  at  the  commandment  of  the  Lord,  and  died 
there,  in  the  fortieth  year  after  the  children  of  Israel  were  come  out  of  the  land  of 

39  Egypt,  in  the  first  day  of  the  fifth  month.     And  Aaron  was  a  hundred  and  twenty 

40  and  three  years  old  when  he  died  in  mount  Hor.  And  king  Arad  the  Canaanite, 
which  dwelt  in  the  south  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  heard  of  the  coming  of  the  chil- 

41  dren  of  Israel.  And  they  departed  from  mount  Hor,  and  pitched  in  Zalmonah. 
42,  43  And  they  departed  from  Zalmonah,  and  pitched  in  Punon.    And  they  departed 

44  from  Punon,  and  pitched  in  Oboth.     And  they  departed  from  Oboth,  and  pitched 

45  in  ^Ijc-abarim,  in  the  border  of  Moab.     And  they  departed  from  Jim,  and  pitched 

46  in  i)ibon-gad.     And  they  removed  from  Dibon-gad,  and  eticamped  in  Almon-dib- 

47  lathaim.     And  they  removed  from  Almon-diblathaim,  and  pitched  in  the  moun- 

48  tains  of  Abarim,  before  Nebo.    And  they  departed  from  the  mountains  of  Abarim, 

49  and  pitched  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan  near  Jericho.  And  they  pitched  by 
Jordan,  from  Beth-jesimoth  even  unto  ^Abel-shittim  in  the  olains  of  Moab. 

1  That  is,  the,  graves  of  lust.  2  Or,  heaps  of  Abarim.  »  Or,  the  plains  of  Shittim. 

»  according  to.  b  jggfg  hurying.  '  departed.  *  encamped. 

[Where  the  A.  V.  uses  "  departed,"  "removed,"  "took  their  journey,"  "  went"  interchan(jeably,  the  Hebrew 
text  has  but  one  word.  This  uniformity  ought  to  be  reproduced  in  the  translation  by  invariably  reading 
"  departed."  The  name  is  true  respecting  the  word  in  the  HrO)rew  text  variously  rendered  "eneamDe-'  '  and 
"  pitched  "  in  the  A.  V.    It  should  ioTariably  be  rendered  "  encamped."— Ta.] 


CHAP.  XXXIII.  1-49. 


177 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

We  found  ourselyes  obliged  under  chap.  xxi. 
to  discuss  the  whole  subject  of  the  successive 
encampments,  and  must  here  refer  the  reader  to 
that  pkce.  [See  also,  with  relation  to  geogra- 
phical matters  and  the  time  required  for  the 
journey  from  Sinai  to  Kadesh,  pp.  73,  74,  78,  79, 
80,  102.— Te.] 

Vers.  1,  2.  This  introduction  forms  the  super- 
scription of  the  list  of  the  removals  and  decamp- 
menls  of  the  children  of  Isra3l  according  to  their 
hosts  under  the  guidance  of  Moses.  Moses,  now 
in  the  plains  of  Moab,  was  to  prepare  this  list  at 
the  command  of  Jehovah,  undoubtedly  that  it 
might  be  a  monument  of  the  great  guidance  of 
Jehovah  and  of  His  covenant  faithfulness,  which 
had  now  brought  the  people  to  the  border  of  Ca- 
naan. It  is  a  retrospect  of  the  journey  through 
the  wilderness,  in  which  richest  memories  must 
attach  to  many  stations,  inspiring  humiliation 
and  praise. 

Vers.  3-15.  From  Rameses  to  Sinai. — The 
notice  is  new  which  stales  that  the  Egyptians 
were  actually  employed  in  burying  their  first- 
born when  the  Israelites  departed — a  circum- 
stance that  must  have  contributed  to  facilitate 
their  departure.  Therewith  was  connected,  that 
Jehovah  executed  judgment,  not  only  on  the 
children  of  the  Egyptians,  but  also  on  their 
idols,  i.e.,  therefore,  on  the  false  religious  confi- 
dence in  their  gods.  From  Rameses,  see  on 
Exod.  xii.  37;  xiv.  8.  From  Succoth  to  Eiham, 
see  Exod.  xiii.  20.  Pi-hahiroth,  see  Exod.  xiv. 
2.  Marah,  see  Exod.  xv.  23.  Elim,  see  Exod. 
XV.  27.  Desert  of  Sin,  see  Exod.  xvi.  1.  Doph- 
kah  and  Alush  are  passed  over  in  Exodus.  Re- 
phidim,  see  Exodus  xvii.  1.  Sinai,  see  Exodus 
xix.  1. 

Vers.  16-31.  From  Sinai  to  Kadesli  (Bene- 
Jaakan,  see  under  chap.  xxi.). 

Graves  of  Lust — Hazerolh — Rithmah — Rim- 
mon-parez  —  Libnah  —  Rissah  —  Kehelathah  — 
mount  Shapher — Haradah — Makheloth — Tahath 
— Tarah  —  Miihcah  —  llashmonah — Moseroth — 
Bene-Jaakan.  As  in  this  list  Kadesh  is  compre- 
hended under  the  name  Bene-Jaakan,  so,  accord- 
ing to  ver.  36,  Ezion-Gaber  must  be  sought  un- 
der one  of  the  foregoing  names.  As  the  Israel- 
ites, no  doubt,  first  came  to  the  mountains  at 
Ezion-Gaber,  one  may  conjecture  that  mount 
Shapher  (the  beautiful  mountain)  is  that  name; 
and  that  Tahath  [a  depression]  indicates  some 
low  ground  of  the  Arabah. 

Vers.  32-35, 41-43.  From  Kadesh  to  Ezion- 
Gaber  (Oboth).  Hor-hagidgad — Joibathah — 
Ebronah — Ezion-Gaber.  Or,  what  is  the  same 
thing,  Hor-Zalmonah — Punon — Oboth.  [See  Dr. 
Lange's  mode  of  establishing  this  result  under 
chap,  xxi.;  also  Translator's  note  below. — Tr.]. 

Vers.  36-40.  A  parenthesis  relating  to  the  death 
of  Aaron  arid  to  king  Arad.  We  read  in  the  plu- 
perfect: they  had  departed  from  Ezion-Gaber, 
and  had  encamped  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  that 
is,  Kadesh.  And  (now)  they  departed  (again) 
from  Kadesh  and  encamped  at  Hor,  the  mountain 
on  the  border  of  the  land  of  Edom.  Hereupon 
the  death  of  Aaron  is  related,  just  as  after  the 
statement  of  xx.  22-29.  That  we  have  here  a 
12 


parenthesis  appears  from  the  quite  fragmentary 
notice  about  king  Arad,  ver.  40.  See  Deut.  x. 
6;  from  Bene-Jaakan  they  came  to  Mosera,  where 
Aaron  died.  Num.  xx.  23;  from  Kadesh  they 
came  to  mount  Hor,  where  Aaron  died.  Here  iu 
the  list:  from  Bene-Jaakan  to  Hor-hagidgad  ;  or 
also  from  Kadesh  to  mount  Hor  [see  Translator's 
note  below — Tr.]. 

Vers.  44-49.  From  Oboth  to  the  plains  of 
IVEoab. —  lim — Dibon-gad — Almon-diblalliaim — 
mountains  of  Abarim — plains  of  Moab  (Beth-je- 
simoth  to  Abel-shittim).  According  to  Keil  and 
the  usual  supposition,  the  encampment  in  the 
wilderness  of  Zin,  i.e.,  Kadesh  (ver.  36)  is  to  be 
understood  of  the  second  arrival  at  Kadesh.  See 
on  the  contrary  at  xx.  21.  Two  arrivals  at  Ka- 
desh are  only  to  be  thought  of  with  respect  to 
the  army  that  went  out  from  Kadesh  and  at- 
tacked the  Canaanites,  and  then,  when  repulsed 
to  Hormah,  settled  again  at  Kadesh.  On  the  va- 
rious hypotheses  regarding  the  encampments 
comp.  Keil  on  chap,  xxxiii.,  especially  the  notes, 
p.  378  [p.  247  sqq.  Clark's  translation — Tr.] 
and  Knobel,  p.  33. 

[It  seems  expedient  to  add  here  such  conside- 
rations as  will  adjust  the  view  of  the  Translator 
given  under  chap.  xiv.  (p.  78-80  above)  with  re- 
lation to  the  explanations  of  the  list  of  encamp- 
ments given  by  Dr.  Lange  under  chap.  xxi. 

The  reasons  adduced  by  Dr.  Lange  do  not 
compel  the  conclusion  that  Bene-jaakaa  must  be 
identical  with  Kadesh.  The  obvious  intent  of 
chap,  xxxiii.  is  to  give  a  consecutive  list  of  en- 
campments ;  and  this  forms  so  strong  a  presump- 
tion against  Dr.  Lange's  interpretation  that  no- 
thing short  of  a  compelling  reason  can  justify  it. 
Verses  1,  2  show,  that  in  this  chapter  we  have  a 
distinct  document,  or  "a  monument,"  as  Dr. 
Lange  justly  entitles  it.  It  must  then  be  com- 
plete and  self-interpreting.  A  pluperfect  ren- 
dering, such  as  Dr.  Lange  proposes  at  ver.  36, 
must  be  justified  in  the  document  itself.  Such  a 
monument  is  not  to  be  read  as  those  familiar 
with  the  events  might  be  supposed  to  read  it,  or 
even  with  the  aid  of  statements  drawn  from  other 
contemporary  records.  Being  intended  for  pos- 
terity, it  must  have  been  composed  so  as  to  oc- 
casion no  confusion  in  the  reading.  It  is,  there- 
fore, unreasonable  to  suppose  that  in  six  or  more 
instances  the  same  movement  and  spots  are  sig- 
nified by  totally  different  names;  that  the  same 
course  is  twice  described,  as  Dr.  Lange  sup- 
poses, in  vers.  32-35  and  41-43,  and  that  the 
same  verbal  form,  properly  translated  by  the 
aorist,  is  suddenly,  without  notice  in  the  narra- 
tive itself,  to  be  taken  in  a  pluperfect  sense. 

The  reasoning  of  Dr.  Lange  under  xxi.  shows 
that  Moseroth  must  be  locally  much  the  same  as 
Hor.  Deut.  ix.  6  makes  this  probable.  But  a 
formal  table  or  log  like  our  chapter  xxxiii.  must 
not  be  modified  by  less  formal  notices  of  other 
narratives,  even  of  our  own  book  of  Numbers, 
much  less  by  such  sporadic  notices  as  those  that 
appear  in  Deuteronomy.  Granting  the  locally 
approximate  identity  of  Moseroth,  Hor  and  Hor- 
hagidgad,  then  the  movement  from  Moseroth  to 
Bene-jaakan  and  the  return  from  Bene-jaakan  to 
Hor-hagidgad,  vers.  31,  32,  only  means  a  change 
of  locality  within  narrow  limits.      This  would 

/ 


178 


NUMBERS. 


only  be  consistent  with  the  name  "wandering," 
always  given  in  Scripture  to  this  emigration,  and 
es'pecially  to  this  period  of  it,  and  particularly 
with  the  language  of  Deut.  i.  ly.  Thus,  as  stated 
p.  80,  the  presence  of  the  Israelites  in  that  re- 
gion amounted  to  a  virtual  occupancy  of  the 
laud.  The  different  names  of  the  narrative  mark 
distinct  places,  though  some  of  them  may  have 
been  very  near  each  other.  When  such  was  the 
case,  they  might  be  used  interchangeably  in  such 
a  narrative  as  Deuteronomy  without  involving 
any  confusion  for  those  to  whom  Deuteronomy 
was  addressed,  s-ince  they  were  familiar  with  the 
scenes. 

Thus  from  Moseroth  to  Bene-jaakan  may  have 
been  in  the  direction  from  Hor  to  Kadesh ;  and, 
consequently,  from  Bene-Jaakan  to  Moseroth 
w  'uld  be  part  of  the  route  from  Kadesh  to  Hor. 
But  we  need  not  conclude  from  that,  that  Bene- 
Jaakan  must  be  identical  with  Kadesh,  or  even 
near  Kadesh.  It  might  have  been  near  Mt.  Hor. 
In  the  statement  of  Deut.  x.  6,  which  is  without 
geographical  connection  in  the  preceding  con- 
text, Moses  may  have  named  Bene-jaakan  and 
Moseroth  as  well-known  land-marks,  by  which 
to  describe  t-he  course  of  the  movement,  and  by 
which  to  define  the  date  of  the  incident  there 
referred  to.  If  it  be  conjectured,  with  Dr. 
Lange  and  others,  that  Hor  and  Hor-hagidgad 
and  Gudgod.ih  are  the  same  locality,  of  which 
also  Moseroth  is  another  name,  then  Deut.  x.  6, 
7,  itself  distinguishes  between  Jloseroth  and 
Gudgodah  or  Hor,  as  well  as  does  Num.  xxxiii. 
30,  31,  32,  33.  They  are  therefore  the  same 
with  a  difference.  What  the  difference  was  may 
elude  detection.  We  may  conjecture  that  Bene- 
ja  ikan,  Moseroth,  Hor-hagidgad,  Jot?iathah  lay 
in  the  order  named  on  the  route  the  Israelites 
followed  from  Kadesh  to  the  southern  extremity 
of  Mt.  Seir.  If  nothing  else,  at  least  their 
having  been  once  encampments  would  make 
them  familiar  landmarks  to  the  Israelites.  That 
they  had  been  encampments,  proves  that  they 
afforded  convenience  for  a  halt.  On  the  final 
march  they  may  have  been  taken  again  as  halt- 
ing places  for  a  night  or  longer,  thouph  not  for 
a  regular  encampment  according  to  the  regula- 
tions of  chap.  ii.  In  other  places,  then,  beside 
the  present  chapter,  when  the  mention  of  places 
is  only  for  the  purpose  of  localizing  an  event  in 
time  or  place,  or  for  the  purpose  of  stating  the 
course  of  the  march  (not  the  encampment),  the 
narrative  might  mention  names  that,  for  some 
reason  not  known  to  us,  served  popularly  to 
mark  the  event.  Thus  Bene-jaakan  may  have 
been  a  halting-place  (not  encampment)  just  be- 
fore proceeding  to  Mount  Hor,  where  Aaron 
died;  and  Moserah  (Deut.  x.  G  a  singular;  in 
Num.  xxxiii.  ZO  we  have  Moseroth,  the  plural 
of  the  same  word,  which  may  or  may  not  indi- 
cate a  distinction^;  may  have  become  a  more 
popular  name  by  which  to  refer  to  the  time 
and  place  where  Aaron  died.  In  Deut.  ii.  8  see 
a  similar  variation  in  names,  viz.  Elath  and 
Ezion-gaber,  instead  of  those  in  vers.  42-44. 
In  this  case,  Elath  ami  Ezion-gaber  need  not  be 
regarded  as  encampments,  though  they  might 
have  been  stopping-places,  and  we  can  easily 
pee  that  they  would  better  serve  as  descriptive 
land-marks  than  the  encampments   in   that  re- 


gion, which  only  while  encampments  may  have 
received  "a  local  habitation  and  a  name."  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  (supposed,  discre- 
pant) names  mentioned  in  xxi.  12  sqq.  A 
short  halt  without  encampment  would  suffice 
for  the  incident  related,  xxi.  16-18.  It  is  not  to 
be  supposed  that  the  encampments  mentioned  in 
this  chapter  name  all  the  halts  that  the  host 
made.  It  was  impossible,  e.  g.,  to  make  the 
move  from  Kadesh  to  Hor  without  two  or  more 
halts.  This  distinction  between  halts,  and  en- 
campments made  according  to  the  regulations 
of  chap,  ii.,  was  proposed  by  Kurtz  [Hist,  of  the 
Old  Cov.,  iii.,  p.  384  sq.,  Clark"s  translation), 
and  is  applied  by  Keil,  p.  246  (Clark's  trans- 
lation). It  is  ignored  by  Dr.  Lange,  whose  me- 
thod implies  that  he  rejects  it.  Kurtz  says: 
"  The  list  in  Num.  xxxiii.  is  purely  statistical. 
The  purpose  of  the  author  was  to  give  a  full  and 
particular  account  of  the  actual  stations — that 
is,  the  places  of  encampment  in  which  the  Isra- 
elites prepared  for  a  lengthened  stay — not  merely 
forming  a  regular  encampment,  but  also  erecting 
the  Sanctuary.  The  writer  in  Numb.  x. — xxii., 
does  not  pretend  to  give  anything  like  a  com- 
plete account  of  the  various  places  of  encamp- 
ment, and  therefore  many  names  are  wanting  in 
the  latter  which  are  found  in  the  former.  His 
purpose  is  purely  historical,  and  not  in  any  sense 
statistical.  And  this  is  to  our  mind  an  explana- 
tion of  the  fact  that  he  mentions  more  places  of 
encampment  [halting  places]  between  Ije-Aba- 
rim  and  Arboth  Moab  than  we  find  in  Numb, 
xxxiii.;  places,  that  is,  in  which  there  was  not 
a  complete  camp  formed,  including  the  erection 
of  the  Sanctuary." 

Thus  the  position  already  maintained  against 
Dr.  Lange  seems  amply  justified,  viz.,  that  the 
narrative  of  chap,  xxxiii.  is  to  be  taken  in  its 
si^nple  a.nd  prima  facie  sense,  i.  e.,  as  an  accurate 
list  of  all  the  regular  encampments  of  the  Israel- 
ites, in  which  the  names  are  given  consecutively 
and  in  their  order,  and  without  repetition  or 
confusion.  The  conjectural  explanation  just 
given,  of  the  apparent  discrepancy  between  the 
mention  of  names  in  xxxiii,  and  elsewhere,  is 
not  to  be  pressed  as  the  actual  solution  of  the 
problem.  It  is  only  offered  in  order  to  show, 
that  it  is  as  easy  to  adhere  to  the  obvious  sense 
of  the  narrative  as  to  take  some  other  course. 
But  the  explanation  has  the  additional  advan- 
tage, that  it  relieves  us  of  all  necessity  of  dealing 
with  the  different  mention  of  names  as  discrep- 
ancies. The  parallelism  of  names,  treated  by 
Dr.  Lange  under  chap.  xxi.  and  above  in  this 
chapter,  remains  an  interesting  subject  of  inves- 
tigation. But  it  is  seen  that  it  does  not  involve 
the  question  of  reconciling  discrepancies. 

The  process  by  wliicli  Dr.  Lange  would  iden- 
tify Jotbathah  and  Zalmonah,  and  Abroiiah  and 
Punon  (see  under  xxi.  10--0),  is  used  with  equal 
success  by  others  («,  ff.,  Keil  and  £ih.  Com.)  to 
establish  the  identity  of  Rithmah,  ver.  18,  and 
Kadesh,  xiii.  26.  AVe  may  suppose  from  this  that 
the  method  is  of  doubtful  value. 

Until  the  places  are  identified  on  the  map,  and 
the  mention  of  names  is  shown  to  be  irrecon- 
cilable, there  is  no  question  of  discrepancy  to 
discuss.  Whoever  desires  to  see  in  briefest  form 
the  latest   results   in   the   efforts  to  locale  the 


CHAP.  XXXIII.  50-56. 


179 


names  of  the  present  list  from  Hazeroth  to  the 
plains  of  Moab  can  consult  the  (Speakf.r's)  Bib. 
Com.  in  loc.  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.,  Wilderness  os 
THE  Wanderings.  As  said  above  under  chap, 
liv.,  only  two  places  are  identified  beyond  doubt, 
viz.,  Ezion-gaber  and  Mt.  Hor  (though  the  latter 
is  debated  by  Dr.  Lange  ;  see  under  xxi.).  About 
several  others  there  is  reasonable  certainty,  {e. 
g.,  Ije-abarim,  see  Dr.  Lange  under  xxi.  10-20, 
and  Dibon-gad,  Dhiban,  the  ancient  Aroer, 
"  about  three  miles  north  of  the  Arnon,"  Smith's 


Bib.  Dict.^  s.  v.,  where  the  Moabite  stone  was 
discovered  in  1868.  Palmer,  Desert  of  the  Exod. 
chap,  xxiv? ;  H.  B.  Tristram,  The  Land  of  Moab, 
chaps,  v.,  vi.  But  until  more  definite  results  are 
reached,  it  does  not  seem  expedient,  in  a  com- 
mentary like  the  present,  to  review  the  repre- 
sentations of  Dr.  Lange  under  chap,  xxi.,  though 
many  efl^orts  at  exploiation  have  been  made 
since  he  wrote  them,  and  there  is  reason  for 
modifying  some  of  them. — Tr.]. 


ELEVENTH   SECTION. 

Anticipation  of  Canaan.      Renevred  Command   Respecting  the  Expulsion  of  the 
Canaanites  and  the  Obliteration  of  the  Public  Signs  of  their  Idolatry. 

Chapter  XXXIII.  50-56. 

50  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan  near  Jeri- 

51  cho,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  When  ye  are 

52  passed  over  Jordan  into  the  land  of  Canaan ;  Then  ye  shall  drive  out  all  the  in- 
habitants of  the  land  from  before  you,  and  destroy  all  their  "pictures,  and  destroy 

53  all  their  molten  images,  and  quite  pluck  down  all  their  high  places :  And  ye  shall 
dispossess  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  and  dwell  therein :  for  I  have  given  you  the 

54  land  to  possess  it.  And  ye  shall  divide  the  land  by  lot  for  an  inheritance  ''among 
your  families ;  and  to  the  more  ye  shall  'give  the  more  inheritance,  and  to  the  fewer 
ye  shall  %ive  the  less  inheritance :  every  man's  inheritance  shall  be  in  the  place 

55  where  his  lot  falleth  ;  according  to  the  tribes  of  your  fathers  ye  shall  inherit.  But 
if  ye  will  not  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  from  before  you ;  then  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  that  those  which  ye  let  remain  of  them  shall  be  pricks  in  your  eyes, 

56  and  thorns  in  your  sides,  and  shall  vex  you  in  the  land  wherein  ye  dwell.  "^More- 
over  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  I  shall  do  unto  you,  as  I  thought  to  do  unto  them. 


1  Heb.  multiply  his  inheritance. 

•  statues  {stones  with  images — Stiek,  De  Wettb). 


*  Heb.  diminish  his  inheritance. 

*  according  to. 


">  And. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 

Comp.  Exod.  xxiii.  31  ;  Lev.  xxvi.  1  ;  Deut. 
vii.  2;  ix.  4,  5;  Josh,  xxiii.  13;  Jud.  ii.  3.  Com- 
mand to  exterminate  the  Canaanites.  So  Keil  en- 
titles this  section.  The  text  does  not  admit  of 
this  extravagant,  traditional  representation.  The 
religious  assumption  underlying  the  stern  mea- 
sures against  the  Canaanites  is  this,  that  Israel 
in  Canaan  can  and  must  by  no  means  tolerate  any 
Canaanitish,  or  indeed  any  sort  of  idolatrous 
community,  because  it  will  affect  Israel  ruin- 
ously. This  latter  motive  is  reiterated  again  and 
again,  and  the  most  various  changes  rung 
on  it.  Hence  in  the  Promised  Land  no  sorts  of 
signs  of  idolatry  shall  stand  in  places,  or  by  the 
roads,  or  on  bridges.  But  it  is  first  of  all  as- 
sumed that  they  are  not  to  exterminate  the  hea- 


then as  individual  heathen  in  the  land ;  already 
in  the  Decalogue  there  is  mention  of  the  stranger 
that  is  in  Israel's  gates.  This  stranger,  toward 
whom  they  are  again  and  again  commanded  to 
behave  themselves  justly  and  kindly  (Exod.  xxii. 
21;  xxiii.  9;  Lev.  xix.  38  ;  Deut.  x.  19)  migh!  in 
later  times  be  made  a  proselyte  of  the  gate ;  ori- 
ginally he  was  only  one  that  recognized  the  su- 
premacy of  the  Israelitish  established  religion, 
and  had  renounced  all  public  announcement  of 
any  heathen  feeling.  Hence  it  is  the  first  task 
of  the  Israelites  to  expel  the  heathen  from  the 
land,  as  this  sort  of  crowding  out  and  pushing 
farther  of  one  people  by  another  frequently  hnp- 
pened  in  ancient  times.  By  such  crowding  out 
the  Germans  came  to  Germany,  and  the  Celts 
have  experienced  crowding  in  many  ways.  If, 
however,  the  heathen  made  warlike  opposition, 
the  meaning  was  that  they  would  maintain  hea- 


180 


NUMBERS. 


thenism  in  the  land  itself,  and  then  the  cherem 
resulted,  the  prostrating  of  the  warlike  men,  and 
only  in  consequence  of  that  storm  of  war  or  ven- 
geance, a  more  universal  cherem.  But  in  refer- 
ence to  this,  a  distinction  must  be  made  between 
the  social  task  of  Israel,  and  the  religious  sen- 
tence that  was  referred  back  to  the  decree  of  Je- 
hovah. According  to  the  latter,  a  universal 
judgment  of  extermination  fell  on  the  Canaan- 
ites  :  according  to  the  social  task,  the  extermi- 
nation was  conditioned  in  many  ways,  and  in  ge- 
neral the  national  spirit  of  the  Jews  continued 
to  be  tempted  rather  by  a  false,  dangerous  tole- 
rance which  it  could  not  yet  bear,  than  by  an 
opposing,  excessive  fanaticism.  The  intercourse 
of  Moses  with  pious  heathen,  the  history  of  the 
Gibeonites,  the  book  of  Judges,  and  the  later 
history  of  Israel  serve  for  illustration.  Solomon 
had  a  fall  by  anticipating  the  public  freedom  of 
worship. 

Ver.  51.  The  meaning  of  the  reiterated  com- 
mand is  quite  plain.  The  inhabitants  of  Canaan 
are  driven  out,  while  all  public  signs  of  idola- 
trous worship  are  destroyed.  The  most  incon- 
spicuous are  memorial  stones  by  the  way-side 
having  on  them  figures  of  idols  or  idolatrous  in- 
scriptions ;  of  higher  degree  are  molten  images  ; 


still    higher   are    the    high-places,    consecrated 
groves  or  enclosed  places  of  worship  with  altars. 
More  the  religion  of  the  law  cannot  and  will  not 
do.     Press  hearts,  convert  souls  by  constraint, — 
this  dark  thought  of  the  middle  ages  and  of  the 
Syllabus  cannot  occur  on  Biblical  ground,  or,  if 
it  does,  only  as  the  heathenism  of  Jezebel,  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  and  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes. 
Thus  they  are   to  possess   the  land  purely  and 
wholly,  but  also  in  just  relations,  whence  ver.  54 
repeats  the  command  of  xsvi.  55.     The  law  is 
enforced  by  threatening  punishment  for  the  trans- 
gressors.    The  natural  consequences  are  these: 
the    heathen    become  thorns    in  their  eyes  and 
pricks  in  their  sides ;   their  eyes  become  obscured 
for  faith ;   their  life  will  be  trained  in  the  way 
of  superstition.     But  in  the  land  that  is  given  to 
them,  the  heathen  will  oppress  and  afflict  them; 
and  just  because  of  this  intolerance  of  heathen- 
ism  they  must  not    tolerate   heathenism.     It  is 
here:   either   or;   anvil   or  hammer.     How  long 
the  vulgar  liberalism  showed  itself  too  insipid  to 
understand  that!     But  the  positive  punishment 
shall  be  that  Jehovah  will,  in  that  case,  reject 
them  also  as  He  now  does  the  Canaauites,  Josh, 
xxiii.  13. 


TWELFTH   SECTION. 

Determination  of  the    Boundaries   of   the   Land  of  Israel.      List  of  the   Men 
appointed  to  Distribute  it  for  the  Individual  Tribes. 

Chapter  XXXIV.  1-29. 

1,  2  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
say  unto  them.  When  ye  come  into  the  land  of  Canaan  ;  (this  is  the  land  that  shall 
fall  unto  you  for  an  inheritance,  even  the  laud  of  Canaan  with  the  coasts  thereof:) 

3  Then  your  south  quarter  shall  be  from  the  wilderness  of  Zin  along  by  the  coast  of 
Edom,  and  your  south  border  shall  be  the  outmost  coast  of  the  salt  sea  eastward : 

4  And  your  border  shall  turn  from  the  south  to  the  ascent  of  'Akrabbim,  and  pass  on 
to  Zin :  and  the  going  forth  thereof  shall  be  from  the  south  to  Kadesh-barnea,  and 

5  shall  go  on  to  Hazar-addar,  and  pass  on  to  Azmon  :  And  the  border  shall  fetch  a 
compass  from  Azmon  unto  the  river  of  Egypt,  and  the  goings  out  of  it  shall  be  at 

6  the  sea.     And  as  for  the  western  border,  ye  shall  even   have  the  great  sea  for  a 

7  border :  this  shall  be  your  west  border.     And  this  shall  be  your  north  border :  from 

8  the  great  .sea  ye  shall  point  out  for  you  moiuit  Hor :  From  mount  Hor  ye  shall 
point  out  your  border  unto  the  entrance  of  Hamath ;  and  the  goings  forth  of  the 
border  shall  be  to  Zedad  : 


9       And  the  border  shall  go  on  to  Ziphron,  and  the  goings  out  of  it  shall  be  at  Ha- 

10  zar-enan :  this  shall  be  your  north  border.     And  ye  shall  point  out  your  east  bor- 

11  der  from  Hazar-enan  to  Shepham  :  And  the  coast  sliall  go  down  from  Rhepham  to 
Riblah,  on  the  oast  side  of  Ain  ;  and  the  border  shall  descend,  and  shall  reach  unto 

12  the  ^side  of  the  sea  of  Chinnereth  eastward  :  And  the  border  shall  go  down  to  Jor- 
dan, and  the  goings  out  of  it  shall  be  at  the  salt  sea :  this  shall  be  your  land  with 


CHAP.  XXXIV.  1-29. 


181 


13  the  coasts  thereof  round  about.  And  Moses  commanded  the  children  of  Israel,  say- 
ing, This  is  the  laud  which  ye  shall  inherit  by  lot,  which  the  Lord  commanded  to 

14  five  unto  the  nine  tribes,  and  to  the  half  tribe :  Fur  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Reuben  according  to  the  house  of  their  fathers,  and  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Gad 
accordino-  to  the  house  of  their  fathers,  have  received  their  inheritance;  and  half 

15  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  have  received  their  inheritance :  The  two  tribes  and  the  half 
tribe  have  received  their  inheritance  on  this  side  Jordan  near  Jericho  eastward,  to- 

16,  17  ward  the  sunrising.  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  These  are  the 
names  of  the  men  which  shall  divide  the  laud  unto  you :   Eleazar  the  priest,  and 

18  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun.     And  ye  shall  take  one  prince  of  every  tribe,  to  divide  the 

19  laud  by  inheritance.     And  the  names  of  the  men  are  these :  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 

20  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunueh.     And  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Simeou,  She- 

21  muel  the  son  of  Amihud.     Of  the  tribe  of  Beujamiu,  Elidad  the  son  of  Chislon. 

22  And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Dan,  Bukki  the  son  of  Jogli. 

23  The  prince  of  the  children  of  Joseph,  for  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Manasseh, 

24  Hanuiel  the  son  of  Ephod.     And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Eph- 

25  raim,  Kemuel  the  son  of  Shiphtan.     Aud  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 

26  of  Zebulun,  Elizaphan  the  son  of  Parnach.     And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the 

27  children  of  Issachar,  Paltiel  the  son  of  Azzan.     Aud  the  priuce  of  the  tribe  of  the 

28  children  of  Asher,  Ahihud  the  sou  of  Shelomi.     And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the 

29  children  of  Naphtali,  Pedahel  the  son  of  Ammihud.  These  are  they  whom  the 
Lord  commanded  to  divide  the  inheritance  unto  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  land 
of  Canaan. 


*  DkWette:  scorpion  heights 


I  Marg.  shoulder. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  3.  The  73  denotes  tlie  starting  point,  from  the  extreme  point  of  the  salt  sea. — A.  G.] 

[Ver.  5.  :3D  J,  turned.— A.  G.J 

[Ver.  7.  ^KTTn,  from  nNH.  to  mark  or  delineate,  but  with  the  added  idea  of  irregularity.    The  wavy,  shaken 


line  reaching  from  one  point  to  another, 
the  great  mountain. — A.  G.J 


^)t^r^  in- 

T  T 


Sept.:  TO  opos  TO  opos — the  mountain  of  the  mountain,  i.  e.. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

The  lawgiver  now  passes  in  the  most  logical 
method,  to  define  the  limits  of  the  land  which  Is- 
rael should  regard  as  its  inheritance,  so  that  it 
should  not  seek  to  go  out  beyond  these  limits  and 
found  a  world  empire  (2  Sam.  xxiv. ),  nor  rest 
within  these  boundaries  until  it  has  acquired  and 
occupied  all  the  territory  within  them.  The 
foundation  for  this  direction  is  contained  in  Gen. 
XV.  18-21 ;  Ex.  xxiii,  31 — and  their  actual  ap- 
plication of  them  is  related  in  Josh.  xiii.  sqq.  It 
is  assumed  that  the  east  Jordan  region  belongs 
within  these  limits. 

1.  Ver.  2.  The  inheritance  is  defined  generally 
as  the  land  of  Canaan  ■with  the  coasts 
thereof,  or  according  to  its  boundaries. 

2.  Vers.  3-5.  The  southern  boundary.  The 
general  description.  The  southern  limit  is  the 
wilderness  of  Zin.  The  added  clause  along  by 
the  coast  (side)  of  Edom  represents  this  line 
as  a  somewhat  extended  one,  which,  like  the  de- 
sert of  Zin  itself,  stretches  by  the  side  of  Edom 
southwards  below  the  Dead  Sea.  The  more  de- 
tailed description  indicates  a  line  drawn  from  the 
east  to  the  west,  beginning  at  the  southern  point 
of  the  eastern  salt  or  dead   sea,  and  from  this 

point  bending  southwards  in  Israel's  favor  (ODi) 
to  the  heights  of  Akrabbim,  thence  inward  in  a 


curve  through  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  enclosing 
Kadesh-Barnea  (the  thirty-eight  years'  camping 
ground),  stretching  onwards  by  the  unknown 
places,  Addar  and  Azmon,  turns  (o  the  river  of 
Egypt  (Rhinocolura),  and  down  this  to  the  INIedi- 
terranean  sea.    Keil  holds  that  the  border  turned 

ODJ,  ver.  4)  at  the  heights  of  Akrabbim  and 
then  went  in  a  straight  line  from  east  to  west. 
The  line  seems  to  be  more  fully  described 
in  Joshua  xv.  (from  Kadesh-Barnea  to  Hczron, 
ascending  farther  to  Addar,  Karkan,  Azmon). 
For  the  brook  of  Egypt  see  1  Kings  viii.  05 ;  2 
Kings  xxiv.  7;  2  Chron.  vii.  8;  Isa.  xxvii.  12. 
[While  we  cannot  identify  certainly  all  the  loca- 
lities here  mentioned,  the  general  direction  of 
the  south  border,  and  even  its  more  special  fea- 
tures as  here  defined  "  are  in  strict  accordance," 
as  Palmer  {The  Desert  of  the  Exodus)  says,  "with 
the  natural  geographical  limits  of  the  country." 
The  Edom  along  which  the  border  lay  is  plainly 
not  the  Edom  east  of  the  Arabah,  but  the  region 
south  of  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  and  which  still 
bears  the  name  of  Seir  or  Sen  among  the  Arabs. 
The  limits  of  the  south  quarter  which  reached  to 
the  wilderness  of  Zin  were  defined  by  a  line 
starting  from  "  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
Dead  sea,  and  running  southwards  up  the  Ascent 
from  the  Ghor" — whether  this  ascent  was  up 
the  Wady  El-Fikreh,  which  opens  into  the  Ghor 
nearly  at  its  Bouth-west  corner,  or  a  pass  open- 


182 


NUMBERS. 


iug  iuio  the  Arabah  still  lower  down,  perhaps 
the  wady  Murrch,  is  uucertaiu — "aloug  the  Ara- 
bah to  the  south  of  the  Azazimeh  uiouutaius, 
turning  to  Gadis  (Kadesh),  rouud  the  south-east 
of  that  mouutaiu  plateau,  from  the  west  of  which 
it  shall  exieud  (taking  in  all  the  fertile  valleys 
at  the  foot)  as  far  as  wady  El  Arish,(the  brook 
of  Egypt),  running  northward  to  the  Mediterra- 
nean. Tue  llazai-Addar  here  corresponds  pro- 
bably to  Ilezron  and  Addar  in  Josh.  xv.  o,  4,  the 
two  places  lying  so  close  to  each  other  that  they 
are  here  named  together.  Hazar-Addar  is  pro- 
bably, though  from  geographical  rather  than 
etymological  considerations,  to  be  sought  in 
Aiu-el-Kudeirat  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
ridge  which  here  forms  the  natural  demarcation 
between  Canaan  and  the  Desert.  The  fountain 
is  still  the  source  of  fertility  to  the  neighboring 
fields."   Bib.  Com.—k.  G.] 

3.  The  western  border,  ver.  6.  The  great  sea, 
Deut.  iii.  16  and  Joshua.  But  it  was  the  sea  with 
its  border  or  territory  set  over  against  Canaan, 
so  that  this  did  not  reach  throughout  to  the 
sea. 

4.  The  northern  limit,  vers.  7-9.  The  gene- 
ral description.  A  line  was  to  be  drawn — some- 
what undefined,  however — from  the  sea  on  the 
■west  to  Mount  Hor  on  the  east.  That  this  moun- 
tain cannot  lie  in  northern  Phoenicia,  as  Knobel 
thinks,  perhaps  Mount  Casius  to  the  southwest 
of  Antioch  on  the  Orontes,  is  evident  from  the 
fact,  that  on  that  supposition  a  line  would  have 
to  be  drawn  northwards,  and  not  from  west  to 
east.  Mount  Hor  therefore  must  be  sought  to 
the  eastward.  It  is  more  probably  a  western 
spur  of  Anti  Lebanon  than  of  Lebanon,  and  is 
perhaps  Hermon.  From  Mount  Kor  onwards 
the  line  is  more  exactly  defined.  At  first  it 
crosses  obliquely  the  repeatedly  mentioned  way 
to    Ilamath,   in  the  direction   of  Zedad.     That 

non  X37  cannot  mean  until  one  comes  to  the 
town  HamatJi,  is  clear,  as  Keil  holds  from  the 
fact  that  Hamath  (the  present  Epiphanius  on 
the  Orontes)  never  belonged  to  Canaaii.  [Keil 
holds  "  that  in  all  the  passages  in  which  Hamath 
is  so  referred  to.  Josh.  xiii.  5;  Judg.  iii.  3;  1 
Kings  viii.  65;  2  Kings  xiv.  25,  etc.,  it  denotes 
not  the  town,  but  the  kingdom  of  Hamath  named 
from  its  capit.al,  and  refers  to  2  Chron.  viii.  4, 
where  Solomon  is  said  to  have  built  store  cities 
in  Hamath  as  the  proof  of  his  position.  How 
far  this  kingdom  may  have  extended  southward 
in  the  time  of  Moses,  we  do  not  know." — A.  G.] 
Zedad  lies  southward  from  Hums  or  Emesa,  or 
between  Hums  and  Damascus.  This  description 
involves  an  important  curve  northward  in  the 
boundary,  since  it  passes  over  the  scarcely 
known  Ziphron  (Ezek.  xlvii.  16,  Zifran)  to  Hazar- 
Enan,  the  fountain-court,  which  some  conjecture 
is  found  in  Bekaa.  This  character  of  the  boun- 
dary seems  to  be  intimated  in  the  n'lK^m.  The 
boundary  crosses  the  roadway  from  Hamath  to 
Ziphron,  and  then  goes  from  Ziphron  to  Hazar- 
Enan.  The  whole  description  would  thus  seem 
to  show  that  the  line  ran  far  up  into  the  region 
of  Anti-Libanus,  wliile  the  main  part  of  the  line 
from  the  sea  to  Mount  Hor  is  not  more  clearly 
defined.  Josh.  xi.  17  names  besides  as  of  spe- 
cial importance  "Baal-gad,"  which  lay  in  the 


valley  of  Lebanon  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Hei-mou. 
We  may  observe   that   Moses   probably   did   not 
possess  the  most  exact  kuowledge  of  these  north- 
ern regions,     [it  is  much  better  to  acknowledge 
our  own  ignorance,  and  wait  for  the  light  which 
geographical  researches  are  sure  to  cast  upon 
these    questions    than    to    impute    ignorance    to 
Moses.— A.  G.]     The  main  line  from  the  sea  to 
the  mountain  lay  cl-arly  in  his  mind ;  and  be- 
sides, the  special  places  in  Anti-Lebanon  along 
the  great  caravan  mountain  were  known  to  him. 
[The  northern  border,  especially  in  its  north- 
eastei-n  portion,  is  involved  in  some  obscurity, 
which,  however,  is  fast  disappearing.    It  is  well 
nigh  certain  that  the  Mount    Hor  here  referred 
to   cannot    be,  as    Lange    conjectures,  Hermon. 
The  name  denotes   the  whole  western   crest  of 
Lebanon,  to  some  point  of  which  the  line  from 
the  sea  would  be  drawn.     Portek,   Giant   Cities 
of  Bashan,   pp.  307-324.     "Standing  on  the  top 
of  the  ruined    citadel  at  Hums,   I  saw  on   the 
western  side  of  the  plain  a  great  opening  or  pass 
through  the  mountains.     On   its   southern   side 
the  ridge  of  Lebanon  rises  abruptly  to  a  height 
of  ten  thousand  feet,  and  on   its  northern   the 
lower  ridge  of  Bargylus  terminates  in  a  bluflF- 
promontorj'.      Between   the    two    lies    the    only 
opening  from  the  land  of  Hamath  to  the   coast 
of  the  Mediterranean.     This  is  unquestionably 
the  entrance  of  Hamath.     From  Mount  Hor  ye 
shall  point  out  yonv  bordpr  unto  the  entrance 
of  Hamath.     Afterwards,  both   when    sailing 
along  the  S.vrian  coast,  and  when  standing  on 
the  plain  of  Phoenicia,  I  saw  with  still  more  dis- 
tinctnf-ss  this  remarkable  pass.     I  saw  then  how 
graphic  was  the   description   of  Moses.     From 
the  great  sea  ye  shall  point  out  for  you  Mount 
Hor.      It    was    there    before    me — the   majestic 
northern  peak  of  Lebanon,  the  loftiest  mountain 
in    Syria,   its   glittering  crown   encircled    by   a 
halo  of  silvery  clouds.     The  pass  between  Leba- 
non and  Bargylus  is  the  only  opening  from  the 
coast  into  the  land  of  Hamath."     From  the  en- 
trance the  border-line  was  drawn   northeast  to 
Hamath,  then  south-east  by  Ziphron  about  three 
miles  east  of  Aretheusa,  through  Zedad,  the  pre- 
sent Sudud,  about  eight  hours  east  of  Hums,  to 
Hazar-Enan."    This  place,  which  was  the  north- 
eastern point  in   the    land,   must    have   been    a 
place   marked  by  abundant  springs.     It  was  a 
village    of    fountains.      Porter   identifies    this 
place  with  the  present  Kuryetein,  lying  about 
six  miles  southeast  from  Sudud,  and  about  mid- 
way between  Palmyra  and  Damascus.     "Here 
are  copious  fountains — the  only  ones  of  any  note 
in  the  whole  of  that  vast  arid    region."     Keil 
places  Hazar  Enan  near  the  fountain  of  Lebweh, 
at  what   RoBTNSON   regards   as   the   water-shed 
between    the    Orontes    and    the    Lcontes.       The 
fountain  is  largo,  and  furnishes  the  finest  water, 
springing  at  difl'erent  points  from  underneath  a 
broad  piece  of  coarse  gravel.    He  urges  in  favor 
of  this  locality,  that  it  is  incredible  that  the  line 
should  have  run  so  far  to  the  north,  embracing 
a  country  which   never   really   belonged  to  the 
kingdom  of  Israel,  and  that  the  more  southern 
line  agrees  better  with   the   eastern  boundary. 
It  is  no  real  objection,  however,  to   the   larger 
limits,  that  they  were  actually  never  reached  per- 
manently by  the  Israelitish  power,  since  the  ori- 


CHAP.  XXXIV.  1-29. 


183 


ginal  grant  extends  even  to  the  Euphrates,  Gen. 
XV.  18;  Ex.  xxiii.  31,  on  condition  that  the  peo- 
ple should  be  faithful  and  obedient.  The  con- 
ditions were  not  fulfilled,  and  hence  the  whole 
land  granted  v?as  not  occupied.  So  far,  there- 
fore, we  may  take  Porter's  location  of  the  nor- 
thern boundary  as  the  correct  one.— A.  G.] 

5.  The  eastern  border,  vers.  10-12.  From 
Hazar-Enan  to  Shepham.  From  that  point  the 
line  descends  from  the  mountains  southwards  to 
Ribiah  to  the  east  of  Ain,  and  going  down  still 
further,  strikes  the  east  side  of  the  sea  of  Chiu- 
nereth.  Still  further  it  runs  down  to  the  Jor- 
dan, and  thence  along  that  river  to  the  Dead 
Sea.  Shepham  and  Ribiah  (to  be  distinguished 
from  the  Ribiah  in  the  land  of  Hamath)  cannot 
be  precisely  located.  But  Ribiah  lies  east  of 
Ain,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  brought  to 
light  in  the  great  fountain  Neba  Anjar  at  the 
foot  of  Anti  Lebanon  (Robinson,  Researches, 
Vol.  IV.,  p.  498).  [Robinson,  however,  identi- 
fies Ribiah  here  with  the  Ribiah  in  Hamath  and 
which  appears  in  the  later  history.  Porter  also : 
'•  Has  my  reader  ever  remarked  the  accuracy 
of  Biblical  topography  even  in  the  minutest 
details  ?  Moses  speaks  of  Ribiah  on  the  east 
side  of  Ain,  or  of  tne  fouataiu.  Ten  miles 
west  of  Ribiah  is  the  great  fountain  of  the 
Orontes,  which  I  also  visited,  and  which  is  to 
this  day  called  by  all  the  people  in  the  neigh- 
borhood El  Ain,  '  the  fountain.'  "  For  the 
opposite  side,  see  the  Bib.  Com.,  which,  how- 
ever, to  sustain  its  theory,  resorts  to  the  violent 
supposition,  that  there  is  no  Ribiah  in  the  text ; 
and  laying  aside  the  Masoretic  pointing,  con- 
structs a  word  which  will  favor  its  theory,  p. 
782. — A.  G.]  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  sea  of 
Galilee  is  not  the  boundary,  but  is  enclosed 
within  it,  as  belonging  to  the  Holy  Land,  as 
even  the  Jordan  also.  [The  description,  how- 
ever— pressed  upon  the  shoulder  of  the 
sea — seems  to  imply  that  while  the  border  ha'l 
not  run  along  the  Jordan  previously,  it  now 
rested  upon  the  north-eastern  shore  of  the  sea 
of  GalileCj  and  then  skirted  that  sea,  and  so 
down  the  Jordan.  The  heritage  of  the  two 
tribes  and  a  half  belongel  to  the  Holy  Laud, 
though  not  included  within  these  bounds.  We 
are  not  to  limit  the  land  to  less  than  that  which 
was  actually  occupied,  nor  are  we  to  exclude 
from  it  regions  which  may  never  have  been  per- 
manently occupied. — A.  G.]  This  land  of  Ca- 
naaa  was  still  now  to  be  distributed  by  lot,  as 
the  land  of  the  inheritance  in  the  narrower  and 
stri'::ter  sense.  Still  the  inheritance  of  Reuben, 
Gad  and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  the  east 
Jordan  region,  was  included.  For  here  it  treats 
specially  of  that  part  of  the  inheritance  which 
was  yet  to  be  conquered  and  distributed. 

[Ver.  15.  On  this  side  Jordan  near  Jeri- 
cho, literally,  on  this  side  of  the  Jericho  Jor- 
dan. The  expression  here  is  remarkable,  be- 
cause applied  here,  not  as  elsewhere  to  a  limited 
space,  but  to  the  whole  territory  of  the  two  and 
a  half  tribes.  It  is,  too,  geographically  more 
accurate  than  would  have  been  the  simple 
phrase:  "on  this  side  of  the  Jordan,"  for  the 
Jordan  did  not  divide  the  western  and  eastern 
tribes  throughout  the  whole  of  its  course.  That 
the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali  was  not 


bounded  by  the  Jordan  on  the  east  may  be  in- 
ferred from  the  sites  of  some  of  the  Naphtalite 
cities  (Josh.  xix.  36,  38),  as  well  as  from  the 
assertion  of  Josephus  {Antiq.  V.  22)."  Bib. 
Com.,  p.  783.— A.  G.] 

Vers.  16-29.  The  appointment  to  distribute 
the  laud.  To  the  two  leaders  of  the  people  and 
who  therefore  represented  the  people,  a  prince 
from  each  of  the  tribes  was  added,  to  witom  the 
special  interests  of  the  tribes  were  entrusted. 
[''  The  positions  of  the  several  inheritances 
seem  to  be  determined  by  lot:  but  their  dimen- 
sions were  proportioned  to  the  wants  of  the 
tribes  to  which  thjy  fell."  Keil,  p.  258.  The 
list  of  tribes  in  the  order  named  corresponds, 
with  some  exceptions,  to  the  situation  of  the 
territory  which  the  tribes  received  in  Canaan, 
reckoning  from  the  south  to  the  north."  There 
are  some  singular  omissions  in  the  enumeration. 
The  phrase  of  the  children,  or  sons,  does  not 
occur  with  reference  to  Judah  and  Benjamin  ; 
and  the  word  prince,  which  describes  the  dis- 
tributors chosen  from  the  several  tribes,  does 
not  appear  with  reference  to  Judah,  Simeon  and 
Benjamin.  Hibsch  suggests  as  an  explanation, 
"  that  as  the  phrase  'tribe  of  the  children'  rep- 
resents the  idea  of  the  unity  of  the  tribe  as 
composed  of  the  individual  ''J3,  the  tribes  of 
Judah  and  Benjamin,  on  whose  borders  the 
national  sanctuary  was  to  be  established,  are 
not  thought  of  as  a  unity  made  up  of  the  indivi- 
dual members  of  the  tribe,  but  as  belonging  to 
the  entire  community,  a  branch  of  the  whole 
nation,  and  so  representing  its  unity.  So  also 
as  the  sanctuary  represented  the  dominion  of 
God  and  His  law,  no  prince  appears  for  these 
tribes,  nor  even  for  Simeon,  whose  inheritance 
lay  enclosed  in  that  of  Judah." — A.  G.]  The 
names  of  those  appointed — all  of  them  unknown 
to  us  save  Caleb — are  Caleb,  attacker,  seizer ; 
FuRST,  Ges.,  dog-barker;  Sbemuel,  heard  of 
God,  asked;  Elidad,  loved  of  God  (Theophilus); 
Bukki,  reverer  of  Jehovah  [Ges,  poured  out  of 
Jehovah]  ;  Hanniel,  grace  of  God ;  Kemuel, 
assembly  of  God;  Elizaphan,  whom  God  shields 
or  hides;  Paltiel,  whom  God  rescues;  Ahihud, 
friend  of  union  [brother,  friend  of  Jews]  ;  Pe- 
dahel,  whom  God  redeems  or  saves. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

The  pre-determination  of  the  boundaries  of 
Canaan  in  a  certain  measure  reflects  the  limita- 
tions of  the  Old  Testament.  In  this  narrow, 
consecrated  space,  should  the  people  attain  its 
full  greatness,  not  with  faint  hearts  neglect  the 
possession  granted  to  them,  but  also  not  to  over- 
leap its  bounds  and  seek  to  found  a  world-em- 
pire (2  Sam.  xxiv.).  The  division  of  the  land 
among  the  tribes  is  so  ordered  that  it  is  partly 
to  be  decided  by  lot  or  the  decree  of  God,  and 
partly  by  the  considerations  of  human  righteous- 
ness, the  sense  of  duty,  as  these  are  always  the 
two  factors  which  work  and  secure  a  righteous 
distribution  of  human  property. 

[The  distinction  between  the  grant  and  the 
actual  possession,  and  that  distinction  as 
grounded,  not  in  any  failure  on  the  part  of  God, 
nor  in  any  want  of  power  on  the  part  of  Israel, 
to   subdue    and  occupy  the   land    to   its  widest 


181 


NUMBERS. 


limit,  but  to  the  want  of  obedience,  Judg.  ii.  20- 
23 ;  Josh,  xxiii.  13-lG  ;  Lev.  xxvi.  32-34.  The 
geographical  aud  historical  reintions  of  the  laud. 
-A.  U.J 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

Arrangements  for  the  land  of  Canaan.  Its 
divisiou.  Tiie  Mosaic  system  has  imprinted 
itself  upon  the  land  of  Canaan.  The  indefiuiie- 
ness  of  the  northern  and  eastern  boundaries 
may  be  regarded  as  an  evidence  of  the  Mosaic 
antiquity  of  the  narrative.  Israel  itself  must 
restrict  itself  and  its  outlines  within  the  most 
determinate  limits  externally,  in  order  to  its 
spiritual  conquest  of  the  world.  This  self-re- 
striction re-appears  in  the  New  Testament  direc- 
tions in  a  spiritual  sense.  The  evil  condition 
of  a  church,  which  seeks  to  extend  itself  indefi- 
nitely as  to  its  outward  size  and  numbers,  while 
as  to  its  inward  qualities,  its  spiritual  life,  it  is 
dead,  and  indeed  falling  into  dissolution.  How 
indeed  in  the  last  instance  what  purports  to  be 


an  angelic  renunciation  of  the  world,  becomes 
truly  a  demonic  seeking  of  the  world.  The  ex- 
ecutors of  the  Mosaic  testament  with  respect  to 
Canaan :  all  is  clear,  definite,  public,  righteous. 
The  confessional  legacy-hunting  of  every  kind 
is  directly  the  contrary. 

[Wordsworth:  "Almighty  God  describes  the 
limits  of  the  promised  land,  and  thus  declares 
that  it  is  He  who  is  the  Lord  of  all  the  earth ; 
that  all  nations  are  His  feudatories  and  vassals, 
and  hold  their  territories  from  Him  who  sets 
the  borders  of  the  earth,  and  determines  the 
bounds  of  their  habitations  (Acts  xvii.  26)." 
Henry:  "Their  borders  are  set  then  1.  That 
they  might  know  whom  they  were  to  dispossess, 
and  how  far  the  commission  given  them  (xxxiii. 
53)  extended.  2.  That  they  might  know  what 
to  expect,  the  possession  of  themselves.  How 
little  a  share  of  the  world  God  often  gives  to  His 
own  people !  Public  affairs  should  be  so  man- 
aged as  not  only  to  give  their  right  to  all,  but 
if  possible,  to  give  satisfaction  to  all  that  they 
have  right  done  them." — A.  G.] 


THIRTEENTH    SECTION. 

Regulations  for  the  Levitical  Cities  and  the  Cities  of  Refuge. 

Chapter  XXXV. 

1  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan  near  Jericho, 

2  saying,  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  give  unto  the  Levites,  of  the  in- 
heritance of  their  possession,  cities  to  dwell  in ;  and  ye  shall  give  ako  unto  the 

3  Levites  suburbs  for  the  cities  round  about  them.  And  the  cities  shall  they  have 
to  dwell  in  ;  and  the  suburbs  of  them  shall  be  for  their  cattle,  and  for  their  goods, 

4  and  for  all  their  beasts.  And  the  suburbs  of  the  cities,  which  ye  shall  give  unto 
the  Levites,  shall  reach  from  the  wall  of  the  city  and  outward  a  thousand  cubits 

5  round  about.  And  ye  shall  measure  from  without  the  city  on  the  east  side  two 
thousand  cubits,  aud  on  the  south  side  two  thousand  cubits,  and  on  the  west  side 
two  thou-and  cubits,  and  on  the  north  side  two  thousand  cubits ;  and  the  city  shall 

6  he  in  the  midst :  this  shall  be  to  them  the  suburbs  of  the  cities.  And  among  the 
cities  which  ye  shall  give  unto  the  Levites  there  shall  he  six  cities  for  refuge,  which 
ye  shall  appoint  for  the  manslayer,  that  he  may  flee  thither  :  and  'to  them  ye  shall 

7  add  forty  and  two  cities.     So  all  tlie  cities  which  ye  shall  give  to  the  Levites  shall 

8  he  forty  and  eight  cities :  them  shall  ye  give  with  their  suburbs.  And  the  cities 
wliich  ve  shall  give  shall  he  of  the  possession  of  the  children  of  Israel :  from  them 
that  have  many  ye  shall  give  many ;  but  from  them  that  have  few  ye  shall  give  few : 
every  one  shall  give  of  his  cities  unto  the  Levites  according  to  his  inheritance 
which  -he  inheritcth. 

9,  10       And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 

11  and  sav  unto  them.  When  ye  be  come  over  Jordan  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  Then 
ye  shall  appoint  vou  cities  to  be  cities  of  refuge  for  you  ;  that  the  slayer  may  flee 

12  thither,  Avhich  killeth  any  person  at  ^unawares.     And  they  shall  be  unto  you  cities 
for  refuge  from  the  avenger ;  that  the  manslayer  die  not,  until  he  stand  before  the 

13  congregation  in  judgment.     And  of  these  cities  which  ye  shall  give,  six  cities  shall 


CHAP.  XXXV.  1-34.  185 


14  ye  have  for  refuge.     Ye  shall  give  three  cities  on  this  side  Jordan,  and  three  cities 

15  shall  ye  give  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  which  shall  be  cities  of  refuge.  These  six 
cities  shall  be  a  refuge,  both  for  the  children  of  Israel,  and  for  the  stranger,  and  for 
the  sojourner  among  them  ;  that  every  one  that  killeth  any  person  unawares  may  flee 

16  thither.    And  if  he  smite  him  with  an  instrument  of  iron,  so  that  he  die,  he  is  a  mur- 

17  derer :  the  murderer  shall  surely  be  put  to  death.  And  if  he  smite  him  with  throwing 
a  *stone  wherewith  he  may  die,  and  he  die,  he  is  a  murderer:  the  murderer  shall 

18  surely  be  put  to  death.  Or  if  he  smite  him  w4th  a  hand  weapon  of  wood,  wherewith 
he  may  die,  and  he  die,  he  is  a  murderer :  the  murderer  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 

19  The  revenger  of  blood  himself  shall  slay  the  mui'derer:  when  he  meeteth  him,  he 

20  shall  slay  him.     But  if  he  thrust  him  of  hatred,  or  hurl  at  him  by  laying  of  wait, 

21  that  he  die ;  Or  in  enmity  smite  him  with  his  hand,  that  he  die :  he  that  smote  hitn 
shall  surelv  be  put  to  death  ;  for  he  is  a  murderer :  the  revenger  of  blood  shall  slay 

22  the  murderer,  when  he  meeteth  him.     But  if  he  thrust  him  suddenly  without  en- 

23  mity,  or  have  cast  upon  him  any  thing  without  laying  of  wait,  Or  with  any  stone, 
wherewith  a  man  may  die,  seeing  him  not,  and  cast  it  upon  him,  that  he  die,  and 

24  was  not  his  enemy,  neither  sought  his  harm ;  Then  the  congregation  shall  judge 

25  between  the  slayer  and  the  revenger  of  blood  according  to  these  judgments :  And 
the  congregation  shall  deliver  the  slayer  out  of  the  hand  of  the  revenger  of  blood, 
and  the  congregation  shall  restore  him  to  the  city  of  his  refuge,  whither  he  was  fled  : 
and  he  shall  abide  in  it  unto  the  death  of  the  high  priest,  which  was  anointed  with 

26  the  holy  oil.     Bfit  if  the  slayer  shall  at  any  time  come  without  the  border  of  the 

27  city  of  his  refuge,  whither  he  was  fled  ;  And  the  revenger  of  blood  find  him  with- 
out the  borders  of  the  city  of  his  refuge,  and  the  revenger  of  blood  kill  the  slayer  : 

28  he  shall  not  be  guilty  of  ^blood :  Because  he  should  have  remained  in  the  city  of 
his  refuge  until  the  death  of  the  high  priest :  but  after  the  death  of  the  high  priest 

29  the  slayer  shall  return  into  the  land  of  his  possession.  So  these  things  shall  be  for 
a  statute  of  judgment  unto  you  throughout  your  generations  in  all  your  dwellings. 

30  Whoso  killeth  any  person,  the  murderer  shall  be  put  to  death  by  the  mouth  of 
witnesses :  but  one  witness  shall  not  testify  against  any  person  to  cause  him  to  die. 

31  Moreover,  ye  shall  take  no  satisfaction  for  the  life  of  a  murderer,  which  is  guilty 

32  of  death  :  but  he  shall  be  surely  put  to  death.  And  ye  shall  take  no  satisfaction 
for  him  that  is  fled  to  the  city  of  his  refuge,  that  he  should  come  again  to  dwell  in 

33  the  land,  until  the  death  of  the  priest.  So  ye  shall  not  pollute  the  land  wherein  ye 
are:  for  blood  it  defileth  the  land:  and  the  'land  cannot  be  cleansed  of  the  blood 

34  that  is  shed  therein,  but  by  the  blood  of  him  that  shed  it.  Defile  not  therefore  the 
land  which  ye  shall  inhabit,  wherein  I  dwell :  for  I  the  Lord  dwell  among  the 
children  of  Israel. 

1  Marg.  above  them  ye  shall  give.  2  Heb.  they  inherit.  3  Heb,  by  error.  *  Heb.  a  etone  of  the  hand. 

*  Heb.  no  blood  shall  be  to  him.  6  B.eh.  faulty  to  die.  "<  Heb.  there  can  he  no  expiation  for  the  blood. 

TEXTUAL    AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  3.  Ud'2'yl  not  the  ordinary  term  for  sheep  and  goats  or  small  cattle.     Here  it  designates  that  which 
they  had  acquired— their  movable  or  drives  possessions — and  so  flocks  as  driven  together.— A.  G.] 
[Ver.  4.  W'M'O  from  ^-\y  todrive— place  to  which  cattle  were  driven.— A.  G.l 

T  :    :  -T 

[Ver.  5.  Omit  shall  be.J 

[Ver.  6.  The  preposition  is  not  in  the  original.  Render  with  Lange:  And  the  cities  which  ye  shall  give  to  the 
Levites  are  the  six— supply  the  verb;  or  better,  as  to  the  cities  which  ye  shall  give,  etc.  Six  cities  shall  be  for, 
etc.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  U.  De  Wette  :  Convenient  cities— those  easy,  ready  of  access,  and  so  fit. 

[Ver.  11.  PJJD'2-  By  his  error  or  wandering  ;  by  inadvertence. — A.  G.] 

ST  T  :    .  . 

XJO  fiom     5<J  to  redeem,  buy  back.    Tonnected  with  DT  redeemer  of  blood,  avenger,  and  so  the 

"T  T 

redeemer  of  blood  was  the  next  of  kin,  a  kinsman.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  12.  m>'n  not  the  word  ordinarily  used  for  the  congregation,  but  the  local  court  of  the  city  to  which  he 

T   ■  T 

fled.    See  vers.  24  and  25.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  19.  In  his  lighting  upon  him,  wherever  he  meets  him;  the  word  includes  even  an  undesigned  meet- 
ing.—A.  G.] 


[Ver.  23.  Who  willed  him  no  evil.— Luthee.] 


186 


NUMBERS. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

Comp.  Josh.  xxi.  After  the  directions  for  the 
purifying  of  the  holy  land  from  all  heathen  de- 
filement, and  its  division  among  the  people  of 
Jehovah  in  a  just  and  equitable  manner,  a  posi- 
tive consecration  is  now  imparted  to  it,  by  the 
distribution  of  the  Leviticat  cities  throughout 
the  entire  land.  This  gleam  of  Levitical  sanc- 
tity over  the  land,  which  takes  the  place  of  the 
dark  or  frivolous  image-worship,  becomes 
broader  and  brighter  through  the  asylums  for 
fugitives,  who  were  pursued  for  the  uninten- 
tional shedding  of  blood ;  places  of  refuge  which 
were  located  among  the  Levitical  cities,  and 
were  thus  passed  under  the  protection  of  the 
Levites,  but  by  the  law  under  which  they  were 
appointed,  were  not  only  bulwarks  of  justice 
and  its  enforcement,  but  also  of  grace  and  its 
dispensation,  and  thus  glorified  the  holy  land. 

This  mingling  of  the  Levitical  cities  with  the 
places  of  refuge  for  those  pursued  by  the  reven- 
ger of  blood,  was  in  the  first  place  peculiarly 
significant.  It  expresses  the  inward  connection 
of  righteousness  and  grace,  and  also  the  sharp 
distinction  between  the  unintentional  shedding 
of  blood  by  the  parricide,  and  the  intentional 
and  criminal  shedding  of  blood  by  the  mur- 
derer, between  expiation  by  the  loss  of  liberty 
and  expiation  by  death,  and  thus  the  develop- 
ment from  the  natural  thirst  for  vengeance,  to 
the  sacred  law  of  justice  and  right.  The  recon- 
ciliation between  justice  and  grace  gives  to  this 
institution  the  morning  rays  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment principles  and  relations.  Its  natural  basis 
is  the  relation  between  the  blood  revenger  and 
the  right  of  asylum  among  the  ancients,  its  ec- 
clesiastical form  the  refuge  to  the  sanctuary  and 
altars  of  the  Church  in  the  Middle  Ages,  its 
Christian  development  the  idea  of  pardon  con- 
sistent with  right,  a  legal  pardon,  its  caricature 
the  radical  excuse  of  guilt  and  the  liberalistic 
dilution  of  the  rights  of  the  slain,  or  the  law  of 
murder. 

1.  The  Levitical  cities,  vers.  1—5.  The  Levites 
receive  no  inheritance,  no  lot  in  Canaan ;  their 
lot  and  inheritance  is  Jehovah.  But  the  tribes 
shall  give  them  cities  out  of  their  inheritance, 
and  in  addition  pasturage  for  their  cattle;  the 
cities  only  in  a  conditional  sense,  i.  e.,  for  dwell- 
ings in  connection  with  those  who  were  not 
Levites,  but  with  their  own  houses  and  with 
special  rights.  The  pastures,  lay  around  the 
cities,  for  their  cattle  and  their  possession  (their 
flocks  and  herds),  and  for  all  their  animals 
jTcnerally.*  For  an  inalienable  possession.  Lev. 
XXV.  34.  The  clear  conception  and  location  of 
the  pastures  which  were  to  be  given  to  the  Le- 
vites in  the  environs  of  their  cities  is  very  diffi- 
cult. We  are  not  inclined,  however,  to  accept 
the  designation  wliich  Keil,  after  (Michaelis 
and   Kn«bel)   adopts  and  favors.     In    the  first 

*  L^n'n    vD;?  animals  genorally.     So    Keil,   Bib. 

T  T  ~ 

Com.,  Wokdswokth;  V^utHinscH  suggests  that  the  phrase 
is  used  here,  not  tosupplcmentiho  enumeration  of  the 
y)asturo  animals,  but  rathor  to  donote  every  purifying 
arrangement  necessary  for  health.  No  grave  could  lie 
made  in  the  Levite  city  or  region,  unless  in  the  cases 
of  those  who  had  fled  to  them  for  refuge. — A.  G.] 


place,  it  is  not  probable  that  the  cities  should 
all  be  four-square ;  and  then  it  is  hardly  sup- 
posable  that  the  cities  should  all  be  enclosed  by 
pastures  exclusively  Levite,  and  indeed  an  envi- 
ron of  one  by  two  thousand   cubits,  so  that  no 
pasture  land  should  have  been  left  for  the  other 
inhabitants  of  the  cities,  unless  tlicy  looked  for 
it,  outside  of  the  Levite  pastures.    Then  further, 
it  would  barely   have  been  possible  to  lay  out 
pastures  one  thousand  cubits  broad  on  every  side 
of  every  city.     The  description  is  entirely  clear 
so  far,  that   the   Levite    piisiures  should  extend 
one  thousand  cubits  from  the  city  into  the  fields 
aroundj    then   two    thousand    cubits,    from    the 
outer    border    of   the  one  thousand   (!finD)    on 
every  side  of  the  city  should  be  set  apart  for  Le- 
vite pastures,  thus  in  all  eight  thousand  cubits. 
There  was  still  room  for  the  gardens  near  the 
city    walls,    and    between    the    measured   Levite 
pastures  there  was  room  also  for  the  pastures  of 
the  other  dwellers  in  the  city.     The  eight  thou- 
sand cubits  appear  to  form  a  plus  or  minus,  an 
indefinite  quantity,  to  be  determined  in  concrete 
cases  according  to  the  demands  and  number  of 
their  cattle  and  flocks.     Thus  the  Levites  were 
scattered  in  Israel  accorcling  to  the  prediction — 
or  curse — of   Jacob  (Gen.  xlix.).     But  the  dis- 
persion, which  in  another  form  hung  as  a  doom 
over   the   Simeonites,   became  now,    not  only  a 
blessing   to  the  Levites,  whom  the  whole  broad 
country  had  to  support,  viz.,  by  the  payment  of 
the  tithes  that  could  not  be  carried  far,  but  also 
for  Israel,  since  the  Levites,  as  teachers  of  the 
law,  consecrated  because  of  the  name  of  Jeho- 
vah, were  to  be  the  salt  of  the  land  and  people. 
Eut   still   they  should   not,  as  Keil  rightly  ob- 
serves, lose  their  power,  by  too  great  a  disinte- 
gration and  dispersion  through  the  whole  land, 
or  become    burdensome   to  individual  tribes  by 
too    great    concentration.     ["  From    ■without. 
The  demarcation  here  inteiided  would  run  paral- 
lel to  the  wall  of  the  city  outside  of  which  it  was 
made.     The  object  was  apparently  to  secure  that 
the  preceding   provision    should    be    fairly  and 
fully  carried   out.     The  suburb  would  thus  ex- 
tend for  a  thousand  cubits,  or  nearly  one-third 
of  a  mile  from  the  wall.    There  might  be  danger, 
especially   with    the   irregular  forms  which  the 
cities  might  assume,  and  with  the  physical  obsta- 
cles presented   by  the  surrounding  ground,   that 
neighboring  proprietors  would  deem  the  suburb 
sufficient,  if  it   measured   a  thousand  cubits  in 
some  directions,  not  in  others,  in  which  case  it 
might  occasionally  be  restricted  to  a  very  small 
area.      To  guard    against  this,  it  was  ordained 
that    the   suburb    should   alike  on  north,  south, 
east  and  west,  present  at  a  thousand  cubits'  dis- 
tance from  the  wall,  a  front  not  less   than  two 
thousand    cubits    in    length."   Bib.    Com.      This 
is  better  tlian  Keil's  view   (which   implies  that 
every  Levitical  city  lay   four-square,  within  the 
area'enclosed  by  the  four  sides  of  a  square),  be- 
cause it  seems  flexible.     The  two  things   which 
seem  essential,  are  to  retain   the  precision  and 
definitcncss  of  the  description  of  the  text,  and 
yet  allow  for  the  diversity  in  shape  and  location 
which  was  sure  to  exist.     I:-  is  very   generally 
agreed   that  the  first    suburb   was    a    thousand 
cubits  broad  all  round  the  city  in  whatever  shape 
its  walls  may  have  been  constructed.     If  we  re- 


CHAP.  XXXV.  1-34. 


187 


gard  the  enumeration  of  the  sides  north,  south, 
east  and  west  as  used  to  indicate  all  directions, 
and  not  merely  four  sides,  we  may  conceive  of 
the  outer  and  broader  suburb — two  thousand 
cubits  deep — conformed  in  its  shape  to  the  walls 
of  the  city,  and  the  configuration  of  the  sur- 
rounding ground. — A.  G.] 

2.  The  Free  cities,  vers.  6-16  sqq.  The  num- 
ber of  free  cities  is  limited  to  six,  which  added 
to  the  remaining  Levitical  cities,  makes  the  en- 
tire number  forty-eight.  That  the  number  of 
the  cities  occurs  here  for  the  first  time  proves 
the  importance  of  the  free  cities.  The  provi- 
sion, too,  that  the  Levitical  cities  should  be  dis- 
tributed among  the  tribes  according  to  their 
strength,  appears  here  for  the  first  time.  The 
most  important  Levitical  cities,  i.  e.,  the  cities  of 
the  priests,  thirteen  in  number,  were  divided 
among  the  tribes,  who  later  were  nearest  the 
sanctuary,  Judah,  Simeon  and  Benjamin.  No 
less  care  appears  in  the  selection  of  the  free,  or 
refuge  cities.  The  location  of  those  on  the  far- 
ther side  of  Jordan,  and  those  on  this  side  (in 
Canaan)  made  the  escape  to  them  possible  to  all. 
These  asylums  were  announced  already  in  the 
first  giving  of  the  law  (Ex.  xxi.  13),  these  regu- 
lations were  also  fixed  before  this  (Lev.  iv.  2), 
and  the  law  with  respect  to  them  was  more 
widely  developed  later  (Deut.  xix.  1-13.) 

These  were  to  be  located  on  three  circuits  of 
the  land,  on  both  sides  of  the  Jordan;   and  the 
roads  leading  to  them  should  be  well  kept,  so 
that  the  avenger  of  blood   should  not  be  able  to 
overtake  and  slay  the  innocent  fugitive  through 
a  long  and  wearisome  and  difficult  road.      [The 
Jewish  tradition    held  that   the  cities  east  and 
west  of  the  Jordan  must  correspond  with  each 
other ;  that  the  three  on  each  side  must  be  equally 
distant  from  each  other;  that  the  cities  must  be 
unwalled — of  considerable  size,  have  all  the  ne- 
cessaries and  couTeniences  of  life,  both  material 
as  water,  markets,  etc.,  and  moral  as  teachers' 
schools;    in  short,  be   a   complete   little  world. 
HiRSCH  says  that  the  HJIJIU'  or  error  did  not  in- 
clude mistakes  occurring  through  their  careless- 
ness, but  only  cases  which  could  not  have  been 
calculated  upon,  or  which  could  not  have  been 
avoided  by  ordinary  human  foresight.      He  adds 
that  their  protective  chiracter  belonged  iu  a  se- 
condary  sense  to  the  Levitical  cities,    but  was 
the  prominent  characteristic  of  these  six  cities, 
Levitical   or  priestly  cities  were  chosen  partly 
because  they  would  be  first  resorted  to  in  the 
administration  of  justice,  and  partly  also  because 
the  land  and  the  people  were  the  Lord's,  and  the 
priests  were  His  representatives;   and  the  crime 
of  shedding  blood  was  pre-eminently  offensive  to 
Him,  and  left  its  stain  upon  His  land ;   and  there- 
fore those  charged  with  this  crime  and  yet  inno- 
cent, were  to  seek  refuge  in  His  cities  and  under 
His  protection.     The  right  and  duty  of  revenge 
for  violations  of  justice  was  universally  recog- 
nized among  the  ancients.     It  was  exercised  at 
first   by  every  member  of   the  family.      It  was 
later  restricted  in  its  exercise  to  some  one  mem- 
ber, generally  the  next  of  kin.     It  was  greatly 
modified  in  its  application  by  this  Mc^aic  insti- 
tution and  its  attendant  features.    The  Goel — '-is 
that  particular  relation  whose  special  duty  it  was 
to  restore  the  violated  family  integrity,  who  had 


not  only  to  redeem  landed  property  that  had 
been  alienated  from  the  family  (Lev.  xxv.  25  sq.), 
or  a  member  of  the  family  who  had  fallen  into 
slavery  (Lev.  xxv.  47),  but  also  the  blood  that 
had  been  taken  away  from  the  family  by  mur- 
der."  Oehler  in  Keil's  Co?n. — A.  G.] 

The  right  of  asylum  created  also,  according  to 
ver.  15,  for  the  stranger,  even  those  who  were 
merely  sojourners  in  the  land.  But  it  was  only 
a  free  city  actually  to  those  who  had  committed 
manslaughter,  and  that  without  design.  The 
murderer,  on  the  contrary,  who  fled  to  it  for  re- 
fuge, ran  directly  to  the  bar  of  judgment  and  to 
death.  Even  the  homicide  was  only  protected  at 
first  from  the  rage  and  violence  of  the  avenger.* 
His  ultimate  freedom  from  the  penalty  of  death 
depends  upon  a  variety  of  conditions.  The  fu- 
gitive must  at  first  stand  before  the  gates  of  the 
city  of  refuge,  and  state  his  case  to  the  elders,  in 
order  to  secure  admission  into  the  city,  and  its 
protection  against  the  avenger.  He  had  thus  to 
vindicate  himself  before  a  judicial  investigation.! 
Then  he  could  not  leave  the  city  of  refuge  until 
a  fixed  terminus  was  reached.  If  he  wandered 
from  its  jurisdiction,  the  avenger  might  slay 
him.  As  he  thus  stood,  on  the  one  side,  under 
the  protection  of  the  free  city,  the  authority  of  the 
Levites  and  the  special  protection  of  Jehovah,  to 
whom  the  Levite  cities  as  peculiarly  holy  be- 
longed, so  he  was,  on  the  other  hand,  in  a  certain 
measure  banished  from  his  hearth  and  home. 
The  terminus  moreover  for  the  close  of  this  ex- 
ile is  very  remarkable.  When  the  high-priest 
dies,  who  is  anointed  with  the  sacred  oil,  he  may 
return  to  his  inheritance  in  safety.  This  entirely 
peculiar  method  of  atonement,  rests  truly  upon 
the  idea  that  the  great  event  of  the  death  of  the 
high  priest  covers  with  respect  to  God,  a  mass 
of  sins  which  have  risen  from  ignorance  or  mis- 
takes, and  causes  them  to  be  forgotten  by  men, 
and  thus  forms  a  terminus  or  bound  which  even 
the  avenger  of  blood  must  respect.  Thus  even 
in  a  moral  sense  great  national  calamities — such 
as  the  death  of  the  high  priest  would  be  regarded 
in  Israel — have  something  expiatory  in  their  na- 
ture; old  enmities  and  dissensions  are  lost  in  the 
national  sorrow.  In  the  interval  moreover  the 
hope  of  the  fugitive  was  kept  alive  awaiting  this 
terminus,  while  the  passion  of  the  avenger  was 
abated.  Keil  holds  especially  from  the  state- 
nicnt  that  the  high  priest  was  anointed  -with 
the  holy  oil  that  the  death  of  the  earthly  high 
priest,  typified  that  of  the  heavenly,  who  through 
the  eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  without  spot  to 
God  (Heb.  ix.  14).  It  is  definitely  declared  that 
the  priests  had  to  bear  the  sins  of  the  people; 
the  high  priest  especially  making  an  atonement 
stood  with  his  censer  between  the  dead  and  the 
living,  and  his  intercession,  as  his  priestly  stead- 
fastness when  in  peril  of  death,  had  a  somewhat 

*  [Jewish  Rabbis  held  that  in  cases  of  this  crime— 
where-there  was  no  kinsman  upon  whom  the  dnty  fell 
to  revenue  the  blood  shed— the  court  would  appoiat 

one — A.  G  ]  ^      ■  ,_  j 

t  [So  strictly  was  this  interpreted  by  the  Jewish  doc- 
tors, that  even  when  committed  in  the  presence  of  the 
court,  the  crime  could  not  he  punished  until  a  judicial 
examination.  In  such  a  case,  however,  the  court  which 
was  to  sit  and  adjudicate  the  case  must  be  a  ditferent 
one  from  that  before  which  the  offence  was  committed. 
The  functions  of  ajudgeandawitness  were  in  theii  view 
not  lodged  in  the  same  person. — A.G.] 


188 


NUMBERS. 


stoning  character,  as  probably  also  bis  death. 
Still  we  must  emphasize  the  fact  that  this  dyna- 
mic or  moral  efficacy  of  his  death  is  not  men- 
tioned among  the  definite  types  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, and  could  not  be  so  mentioned,  since  the 
death  of  the  high  priest  was  not  always  edifying. 
[Keil  :  "  In  these  regulations  all  the  rigor  of  di- 
vine justice  is  manifested  in  the  most  beautiful 
concord  with  His  mercy.  Through  the  destruc- 
tion of  life,  even  when  not  wilful,  human  blood 
had  been  shed  and  demanded  expiation.  Yet 
this  expiation  did  not  consist  in  the  death  of  the 
ofi^ender  himself,  because  he  had  not  sinned  wil- 
fully. Hence  an  asylum  was  provided  for  him  in 
the  free  city  to  which  he  might  flee,  and  where 
he  might  remain,  not  as  an  exile,  but  under  the 
protection  of  God,  until  his  sin  was  expiated  by 
the  death  of  the  high  priest.  The  fact  that  the 
death  of  the  high  priest  was  regarded  as  expia- 
tory is  evident  from  the  clause,  "who  has  been 
anointed  with  tlie  holy  oil,"  which  would  appear 
unmeaning  and  superfluous  on  any  other  view. 
The  anointing  with  the  holy  oil  was  a  symbol  of 
the  communication  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  which 
the  high  priest  was  empowered  to  act  as  media- 
tor and  representative  of  the  nation  before  God, 
80  that  he  alone  could  carry  out  the  yearly  and 
general  expiation  for  the  whole  nation  on  the 
great  day  of  atonement.  But  as  his  life  and 
work  acquired  a  representative  signification 
through  this  anointing  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  his 
death  might  also  be  regarded  as  a  death  for  the 
Bins  of  the  people,  by  virtue  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
imputed  to  him,  through  which  the  unintentional 
manslayer  received  the  benefits  of  the  propitia- 
tion for  his  sins  before  God,  so  that  he  could  re- 
turn cleansed  to  his  native  town  without  further 
exposure  to  the  avenger  nf  blood.  But  inasmuch 
as,  according  to  this  view,  the  death  of  the  high 
priest  had  the  same  result  in  a  certain  sense,  in 
relation  to  his  line  of  office,  as  his  function  on 
the  day  of  atonement  had  had  every  year,  the 
death  of  the  earthly  high  priest  became  thereby 
a  type  of  that  of  the  heavenly  One,  who  through 
the  eternal  (holy)  Spirit  offered  Himself  without 
spot  to  God,  that  we  might  be  redeemed  from  our 
transgressions,  and  receive  the  promised  eternal 
inheritance.  Just  as  the  blood  of  Christ  wrought 
out  eternal  redemption  only,  because  through  the 
eternal  Spirit  He  offered  Himself  without  spot  to 
God,  so  the  death  of  the  high  priest  of  the  Old 
Testament  secured  the  complete  deliverance  of  the 
manslayer  from  his  sin,  only  because  he  had 
been  anointed  with  the  holy  oil,  the  symbol  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."  The  death  of  Christ  our  High  Priest 
avails  to  release  those  who  have  fled  for  refuge 
to  Him  from  all  the  penalty  which  their  sins  de- 
serve. And  as  the  high  priest  was  a  type  of 
Christ,  his  death,  as  the  anointed  one,  and  an- 
ointed with  the  Spirit  of  life  and  holiness,  had  a 
typical  efficacy,  axd  released  those  who  had  fled 
for  refuge  from  the  avenger  to  the  priestly  cities, 
and  representatively  at  least,  to  the  city  of  the 
high  priest.  That  it  is  not  expressly  mentioned 
as  a  type  by  no  means  excludes  it  from  that  re- 
lation, nor  does  the  mode  or  features  of  the  high 
priest's  death  aff"ect  its  typical  any  more  than  its 
real  efficacy. — A.  G.] 

As  the  acquittal  of  the  unintentional  homicide 
was  not  unconditioned,  so  also  the  restraints  of 


the  avenger  are  not  unlimited.  The  Goel  was 
legally  tiie  nearest  relative,  or  in  his  default  the 
relative  next  removed  (see  the  book  of  Ruth),  and 
ultimately  the  whole  family.  In  actual  life  how- 
ever it  was  that  relative  of  the  slain  person  who 
felt  most  deeply  the  injury  which  had  been  in- 
flicted upon  him,  and  would  rather  die  with  the 
slain,  than  not  to  claim  back  his  blood,  i.  e.,  leave 
it  unavenged.  The  impulse  of  blood  revenge  was 
therefore,  and  still  is,  the  original  natural  im- 
pulse of  retributivejustice,  the  source  of  allcrimi- 
nal  jurisprudence.  But  since  the  avenger  is 
blinded  with  passion — and  unrestrained  pursuit 
of  revenge  as  a  passion  always  engenders  fresh 
revenges,  as  is  seen,  to  this  day  among  certain 
tribes  and  peoples,  e.g.,  in  Arabia — so  the  law 
steps  in  between  the  avenger  and  his  victim,  re- 
strains him  in  the  exercise  of  his  right  (and 
duty)  by  the  judgment  of  the  community,  in  or- 
der that  the  more  natural  form  of  revenge  may 
pass  more  and  more  into  the  unimpassioned  de- 
cision of  the  public  court  and  justice.  Thus  the 
right  of  refuge  and  of  revenge  stand  over  against 
each  other,  and  each  exerting  a  modifying  and 
shaping  influence  upon  the  other.  In  a  legal 
point  of  view  the  avenger  may  still  kill  the  ho- 
micide with  impunity;  and  is  indeed  the  execu- 
tioner of  the  sentence  of  the  court,  if  the  congre- 
gation, or  the  court  of  the  congregation  (i.  e.,  the 
local  court  of  the  city  of  refuge,  or  perhaps  the 
highest  tribunal  of  the  whole  community),  should 
adjudge  the  homicide  a  murderer.  [The  order 
seems  to  have  been  this.  The  manslayer  pre- 
sented himself  to  the  elders  of  the  city  of  refuge 
and  stated  his  case;  upon  that  they  received 
him,  and  if  the  charge  of  crime  was  pressed,  he 
was  to  be  handed  over  to  the  community  to  which 
he  belonged,  and  then  fully  tried.  If  they  found 
him  innocent  of  intentional  murder,  he  was  re- 
mitted to  the  protection  of  the  city  of  refuge;  if 
otherwise,  he  was  delivered  to  the  avenger.-A.  G.] 
8.  The  distinction  bet'ween  homicide 
and  murder. — Vers.  16-28.  The  signs  of  mur- 
der as  to  the  mode.  The  use  of  a  deadly  weapon 
of  iron,  or,  if  heavy  enough  to  cause  death,  a 
stone,  or  of  a  heavy  piece  of  wood  (Caie's  club). 
[The  use  of  such  weapons  dangerous  to  life  would 
imply  some  evil  intent — were  presumably  proof 
of  a  malicious  purpose. — A.  G.]  The  motives 
are  hatred  and  enmity.  The  means  employed  an 
artful  plan.  Unintentional  homicide,  on  the 
other  hand,  might  occur  from  "sudden  thrust,  a 
hunting  around  of  a  weapon,  without  enmity;  or 
the  casting  of  a  stone  without  a  purpose  to  in- 
jure, or  in  ignorance  of  any  one  in  danger,  and 
in  cases  in  which  it  could  then  be  known  that  no 
enmity,  no  ill-will  existed.  [See  the  cases  illus- 
trated Dent.  xix.  4,  5. — .1.  G.]  In  the  former 
case  the  avenger  takes  his  course,  but  in  the  lat- 
ter the  congregation  shaU  judge,  i.  e.,  actu- 
ally determine,  and  so  rescue  the  manslayer  from 
his  pursuer.  As  to  the  manslayer  even  the  sen- 
tence the  avenger  may  kiU  him  •whenever 
and  wherever  he  meets  him,  lights  upon 
him, comes  under  legallimitations, because  other- 
wise the  revenger  might  designate  every  homi- 
cide as  a  murderer.* 

*  [HiRRcn:  At  the  death  of  the  high  priest,  the  homi- 
cide retnrn''d  to  his  home  and  possessions,  but  not  to 
his  social  position  and  official  honor,  even  where  these 


CHAPTER  XXXV.  1-34. 


189 


4.  The  judgment  upon  the  murderer  and 
his  motive. — Vers.  2y-34:.    The  manslayer  can 
only  be  convicted  of  murder  by  the  evidence  of 
several    (Deut,:   two    or  three)    witnesses.     The 
testimony  of  a  single  witness  is   not  sufBcient. 
But  if  convicted,  then  he  was  not  to  be  released 
upon  any  expiation,  or   ransom,  or  sacrifice,  as 
was  done  among  the  heathen  nations,  by  the  old 
Germans,  and  even  in  the  church  of  the  middle 
a<res.     Even  the  mere  manslayer  cannot  be  re- 
le°  sed  from  his  sentence,  that  he  must  remain  in 
the  city  of  refuge  until   the  death  of  the  high 
priest.  For  whoever  is  guilty  of  blood  has  defiled 
snd  desecrated  the  land;   he  has  stained  it  with 
blood,  and   there  is  no  atonement  for  these  but 
tue  blood  of  the  murderer.     If  he  remains  un- 
punished, then  the  judicatory  itself  appointed  to 
administer  retributive  justice  defiles  the  land,  the 
holy  land,  in  which  Jehovah    dwells  with    His 
people— Jehovah  as  the  sacred  personality  among 
His  people,  whom  He  has  trained  to  a  life  of 
sanctified   personality.     Thus  here  too  the  law 
forms  a  sacred  pedagogic — a  method  of  train- 
ing by  which    men  are   led  upwards  from    the 
merely  natural  to  the  spiritual  life.     As  Moses 
thus  provides  for  or  regulates  the  oath,  the  offer- 
ing, marriage,  divorce,  the  vow,  the  revenge  of 
jealousy,  sd  now  also   the  blood  revenge,  in  or- 
der to  lead  it  to  the  ideal  goal,  where  the  whole 
society  of  the   people,  the   entire  community,  is 
made  responsible  for  the  execution  of  the  penalty 
or  curse   resting  upon  the   shedding   of  human 
blood.     Comp.  this   Gonim.  Gen.  ix.  5,  6.      [No 
satisfaction. — Vers.  31,  32.    "The  permission 
to  make  compensation  for  murder  undoubtedly 
mitigates  in  practice  the  system  of  private  reta- 
liation, but  it  does  so  by  sacrificing  the  principle 
which  is  the  basis  of  that  retaliation  itself.    Rest- 
ing ultimately  upon  that  law  of  God,  "that  who- 
soever sheddeth  man's   blood,  by  man  shall  his 
blood  be  shed,"  it  bids  men  rest  content  with  a 
convenient  evasion  of  that  law,  and  connects  the 
authority  given  to  men  to  act  as  God's  ministers 
in   taking  life  for  life,  with  a  warrant  for  ena- 
bling the   kinsmen  of  a  murdered  man  to  make 
gain  out  of  his  murder.     For  I  the  Lord  dwell 
— an  emphatic  protest  against  all  enactment  or 
relaxation  of  laws  by  men  for  their  own  private 
convenience."'    Bih.  Com.     These  words  too  con- 
tain the  very  principle  and  sum  of  the  whole  law 
above,  viz.:  this  sacredness  of  human  blood  or  life 
— since  man  is  made  in  the  image  of  God. — A.  G.] 
For  the  literature    see  Winer's  Real-Worter- 
buch,  art.  "Freistatt."      Dann  :    Ueber   den   Ur- 
sprung  des  Asylrechts,  etc.,  Leipsic,  1810.     Cowles 
vn  the  Pentateuch,  pp.  280-281.     J.  D.  Michaelis, 
Lawn  of  Moses.     Smith's  Bib.  Diet.  arts.  "  Cities 
of  Refuge  "  and  "Revenger  of  Blood." 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

The  Levites  were  specially  cared  for.  They 
are  to  be,  on  the  one  hand,  without  large  posses- 
sions, and,  on  the  other,  without  care,  but,  above 
all,  intimately  connected  with    the  people;    an 

were  hereditary.  All  other  transeressors,  when  they 
were  atoned  for,  were  re.stored  to  the  honors  and  offices 
they  enjoyed  before,  and  were  qualified  to  hold  new 
position..^,  but  the  unintentional  murderers  were  ex- 
cluded.—A.  G.J 


ideal  for  an  ecclesiastical  and  spiritual  class  for 
all  time.  The  hierarchy  of  the  middle  ages  did 
not  observe  this.  It  took  the  tithes,  but  took 
with  them  also  the  lauded  property.  It  reversed 
the  Old  Testament  relations.  It  did  not  dwell 
with  the  people,  but  left  them  to  dwell  by  them- 
selves. And  while  men  who  were  pursued  for 
an  unintentional  crime  fouud  safety  among  the 
Levites  in  the  cities  of  refuge,  under  the  hierar- 
chy men  who  were  more  innocent  than  unin- 
tentional homicides  ran  directly  to  their  death, 
into  the  very  tortures  of  the  inquisition.  But 
the  right  of  sanctuary  which  the  churches  offered 
them  was  a  faint  reflection  of  the  Old  Testament 
cities  of  refuge. 

The  refuge  opened  in  the  bosom  of  the  Leviti- 
cal  cities  for  those  who  were  pursued  by  the  re- 
venger of  blood;  how  great  and  true  a  preparation 
to  the  New  Testament  was  this  union  of  holiness 
and  mercy. 

But  the  sharp  distinctions  which  are  made 
with  respect  to  these  fugitives,  between  actual 
murderers  and  real  homicides,  are  a  divine  tes- 
timony against  the  fatuities  of  modern  liberal- 
ism, and  especially  against  the  abominable  lie 
of  materialism,  which  strips  all  crimes  of  their 
guilt. 

["The  atoning  death  of  the  Saviour  casts  its 
shadow  before  on  the  statute  book  of  the  law, 
and  on  the  annals  of  Jewish  history.  The  High 
Priest  as  the  head  and  representative  of  the 
whole  chosen  family  of  sacerdotal  mediators,  as 
exclusively  entrusted  with  some  of  the  chief 
priestly  functions,  as  alone  privileged  to  make 
yearly  atonement  within  the  Holy  of  Holies,  was 
pre-eminently  a  type  of  Christ.  And  then  the 
death  of  each  successive  high-priest  presignified 
that  death  of  Christ  by  which  the  captives  were 
to  be  freed,  and  the  remembrance  of  transgres- 
sions made  to  cease."  Bib.  Com. — A.  G.] 

HOMILETICAL    HINTS. 

The  beautiful  and  suggestive  union  of  the 
Levitical  cities  and  the  cities  of  Refuge,  the 
instructive  element  in  the  regulation  of  the  Le- 
vitical cities.  The  sense  of  justice  is  consecrated 
and  sanctified  in  the  establishment  of  the  cities 
of  refuge.  The  wisdom  which  shines  in  the 
union  of  the  two  institutions.  The  distinction 
between  the  murderer  and  the  homicide,  a  fun- 
damental distinction  in  all  criminal  jurispru- 
dence. The  justice  in  the  limitations  of  the 
right  of  Asylum.  Blood  revenge  as  the  root  of 
the  courts  of  law,  and  these  courts  as  abolishing 
the  blood  revenge,  just  as  jealousy  is  the  root 
of  marriage,  and  marriage  is  the  destruction  of 
jealousy.  The  difiBcult  and  ever  new  and  re- 
peated effort  for  the  reconciliation  of  judgment 
and  mercy,  or  even  of  equity  and  grace.  The 
reconciliation  between  the  rights  of  the  dead 
and  the  rights  of  the  living.  The  rights  of  the 
dead  or  slain  one.  The  rights  of  the  living. 
The  atoning  element  in  the  occurrence  of  great 
catastrophes  upon  the  land  or  on  the  people. 
Illustrated  in  the  death  of  the  High  Priest. 
[The  sacredness  of  human  life  in  its  relations  to 
society  and  in  its  relations  to  God.  How  God 
guards  and  restrains  the  working  of  mere  blind 
revenge,  and  yet  cherishes  and  gives  exercise  to 


19(> 


NUMBERS. 


the  sense  of  justice.  Crimes  uupunished  bring 
guilt  upon  the  authorities  and  courts.  Henry: 
••Here  is  a  great  deal  of  goad  law  and  of  good 
gospel.  It  is  here  enacted,  1.  That  wilful  mur- 
der should  be  punished  with  death,  and  in  that 
case  no  sanctuary  should  be  allowed,  no  ransom 
taken  nor  any  commutation  of  the  punishment 
accepted;  the  murderer  shall  surely  be  put  to 
death.  The  redemption  of  the  life  is  so  precious 
that  it  cannot  be  obtained  by  the  multitude  of 
riches.  2.  That  if  the  slaying  was  not  volun- 
tary, nor  done  designedly,  there  was  safety  in 
the  city  of  refuge.  The  protection  was  under 
law.  It  was  a  remedial  law,  and  all  its  provi- 
sions must  be  strictly  observed.  There  is  here 
a  great  deal  of  good  gospel  couched  under  the 
type  and  figures  of  the  cities  of  refuge.  (See 
Heb.  vi.  18.)     As,  1.  There  were  several  cities, 


so  that  the  manslayer  might  easily  reach  them 
so  although  there  is  but  one  Christ,  yet  He  is  a 
refuge  at  hand.  2.  The  manslayer  was  safe  in 
any  of  these  cities,  so  all  who  have  fled  to  Christ 
are  safe,  Rom.  viii.  1.  3.  Even  strangers  and 
sojourners  might  have  the  benefit  of  these  cities 
so  in  Christ  Jesus  there  is  no  difi'erence  between 
Greek  and  Jevr.  4.  If  the  manslayer  left  the 
city  to  return  to  his  own  home,  he  lay  exposed 
to  the  avenger  of  blood,  so  those  that  are  in 
Christ  must  abide  in  Christ;  it  is  at  their  peril 
if  they  forsake  Him  or  wander  from  Him. 
Drawing  back  is  to  perdition."  Wordsworth: 
"  Not  only  does  blood  pollute  the  land,  but  they 
also  who  connive  at  murder  when  they  ought  to 
punish  it,  are  said  here  to  pollute  it.  Is  it  then 
competent  to  man  to  abolish  capital  punishment 
for  murder?"— A.  G.] 


FOURTEENTH   SECTION. 

The  Imperishability  of  the  Tribes,  and  the    tribal   Inheritance  in    Israel;   or  the 
Limitation  of  the  Right  of  Marriage  of  Heiresses. 

Chapter  XXXVI.  1-13. 

1  And  the  chief  fathers  of  the  families  of  the  children  of  Gilead,  the  son  of  Ma- 
chir,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  of  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Joseph,  came  near,  and 
spake  before  Moses,  and  before  the  princes,  the  chief  fathers  of  the  children  of 

2  Israel :  And  they  said,  The  Lord  commanded  my  lord  to  give  the  land  for  an 
inheritance  by  lot  to  the  children  of  Israel :  and  my  lord  was  commanded  by  the 
Lord  to  give  the  inheritance  of  Zelophehad    our  brother   unto    his   daughters, 

3  And  if  they  be  married  to  any  of  the  sons  of  the  other  tribes  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  then  shall  their  inheritance  be  taken  from  the  inheritance  of  our  fathers, 
and  shall  be  put  to  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  whereunto^  they  are  received  ;  so 

4  shall  it  be  taken  from  the  lot  of  our  inheritance.  And  when  the  jubilee  of  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  be,  then  shall  their  inheritance  be  put  unto  the  inheritance 
of  the  tribe  whereunto  they  are  received :  so  shall  their  inheritance  be  taken  away 

5  from  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  our  fathers.  And  Moses  commanded  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  saying,  The  tribe  of  the  sons  of 

6  Joseph  hath  said  well.  This  is  the  thing  which  the  Lord  doth  command  concern- 
ing the  daughters  of  Zelophehad,  saying.  Let  them  marry^  to  whom  they  think 

7  best ;  only  to  the  family  of  the  tribe  of  their  father  shall  they  marry.  So  shall 
not  tlie  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Israel  remove  from  tribe  to  tribe :  for  every 
one  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  keep'  himself  to  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of 

8  his  fathers.  And  every  daughter,  that  possesseth  an  inheritance  in  any  tribe  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  shall  be  wife  unto  one  of  the  family  of  the  tribe  of  her 
father,  that  the  children  of  Israel  may  enjoy  every  man  the  inheritance  of  his 

9  fathers.  Neither  shall  the  inheritance  remove  from  07ie  tribe  to  another  tribe; 
but  every  one  of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  keep  himself  to  his  own 

10  inheritance.     Even  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  did  the  daughters  of  Zelo- 

11  phehad:  For  Mahlah,  Tirzah,  and  Hoglah,  and  Milcah,  and  Noah,  the  daughters 

12  of  Zelophehad,  were  married  unto  their  father's  brother's  sons:  And  they  were 
married  into*  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Manasseh  the  son  of  Joseph,  and  their 


CHAP.  XXXVl.  1-13. 


191 


13  inlieritance  remained  in  the  tribe  of  the  family  of  their  father.  These  are  the 
commandments  and  the  judcjments,  which  the  Lord  commanded,  by  the  hand  of 
Moses,  unto  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan  near  Jericho. 


1  Marg.  unto  whom  they  shall  be. 
»  Marg.  cleave  to  the,  etc. 


-  Marg.  be  wives. 

*  Marg.  to  some  that  tvere  of  the  families. 


TEXTUAL   ANB    GRAMMATICAL. 

[Ver.  2.  DeWettb:  our;  but  the  suffix  refers  to  the  speaker,  the  head  and  representative  of  this  Gileadito 
family.— A.  G.] 

[Ver.  3.  The  construetiou  is  irregular;  but  the  sense  is  clear.    Keil,  Knobel,  refer  0717  to  nt3!3.  the  tribe 

V  T  *.■  T 

regarded  according  to  its  numbers.    It  refers  rather  to  the  daughters,  the  tribe  which   should  be  to  them,  into 
which  they  should  marry. — A.  G.] 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 

This  closing  section  of  (he  book  of  Numbers 
may  seem  in  the  eyes  of  modern  critics,  as 
a  mere  unimportant  notice,  or  incident;  but 
it  forms,  viewed  in  its  typical  tendency, 
and  according  to  the  character  of  the  Book 
of  Numbers,  a  proper  and  fitting  completion 
of  the  organization  of  the  people  of  God, 
the  hosts  of  Jehovah.  Under  the  form 
of  an  occasional  and  special  law,  it  establishes 
the  typical  perpetuity  of  the  tribes  of  Israel  and 
their  inheritance  in  Canaan.  The  essential  ele- 
ments have  already  been  considered  in  the  com- 
ment upon  chap,  xxvii.  The  conditional  gift  of 
Canaan  to  Israel  for  all  time  is  here  presup- 
posed. The  consequence  of  this  grant  was  the 
division  of  the  land  among  the  particular  tribes 
by  lot.  Jehovah  gave  to  each  tribe  its  inheri- 
tance by  lot.  And  as  the  inheritance  must  re- 
main in  its  integrity,  so  also  must  the  tribe; 
and  indeed  as  the  tribe,  so  also  the  individual 
family  and  the  individual  household,  as  the  or- 
dinance with  respect  to  the  levirate  marriage, 
and  the  year  of  jubilee,  clearly  prove. 

But  now  this  fixed  destination  seemed  to  be 
endangered,  by  the  law  recently  enacted,  in  re- 
gard to  the  inheritance  of  daughters;  and  the 
chief  fathers  of  the  Gileadite  branch  of  the  tribe 
of  Manasseh,  bring  out  this  danger  in  the  in- 
terests of  their  tribe.  If  the  daughter-heiresses 
of  Zelophehad  married,  out  of  their  own  tribe 
and  carried  over  with  them  their  inheritance, 
then  their  inheritance  would  be  actually  lost  to 
the  tribe  at  present,  and  definitively  and  perma- 
nently lost  through  the  law  of  the  jubilee,  since  at 
that  time  it  would  fall  to  the  legal  foreign  heir. 

Even  although  it  had  been  purchased  by  the 
Manassites  in  the  interval,  [They  rested  their 
statement  of  their  case  upon  what  they  correctly 
supposed  to  result  from  the  distribution  of  the 
land  by  lot.  What  was  so  directly  given  by  God 
could  not  be  alienated.  Keil:  "  Strictly  speak- 
ing, the  hereditary  property  would  pass  at  once, 
when  the  marriage  took  place,  to  the  tribe  into 
which  an  heiress  married.  But  up  to  the  year 
of  jubilee  it  was  always  possible  that  this  here- 
ditary property  might  revert  to  the  tribe  of  Ma- 
nasseh. If  the  marriage  were  childless,  it  would 
do  so."  In  other  cases  the  year  of  jubilee 
would  confirm  the  alienation  of  the  inheritance. 
If  the  tribe  had  purchased  it  of  the  heiress,  the 
year  of  jubilee  would  relinquish  the  title  so  ac- 


quired, while  it  would  not  disturb,  but  ratify  the 
rights  of  the  husband  of  the  heiress.  The  year 
of  jubilee  afforded  no  relief  in  the  case  sup- 
posed.— A.  G.] 

Moses  solves  the  question  according  to  the 
divine  direction,  by  regulating  the  marriage  of 
heiresses;  they  may  marry  to  whom  they  think 
best,  only  to  the  family  of  the  tribe  of  their 
father.  The  right,  therefore,  to  freedom  in 
marriage  is  limited  or  conditioned  by  the  order 
and  necessities  of  the  popular,  social  or  national 
life.  It  is  then  related,  vers.  10-12,  that  in  ac- 
cordance with  this  direction,  the  five  daughters 
of  Zelophehad  were  married  to  their 'father's 
brother's  sons,  i.  e.,  literally  their  cousins. 
[The  Hebrew  term,  however,  though  ordinarily 
used  to  denote  a  father's  brother,  is  used  in  a 
wider  sense,  so  that  it  admits  of  being  rendered 
a  friend  or  kinsman — those  of  their  own  kin  or 
tribe.— A.  G.] 

It  is  with  this  theocratic  conception  as  with 
the  law  of  the  jubilee,  and  other  similar  institu- 
tions. They  melt  away  in  the  light  of  reality, 
but  with  that  their  typical  and  ideal  significance 
appears  all  the  more  clearly.  The  inheritance 
which  God  gives  rema'ns  sure  not  only  to  the 
people  of  God  as  a  whole,  and  to  the  tribes  in 
particular,  but  even  to  the  individuals  which 
compose  the  tribe.  The  antiquity,  and  the 
genuineness  of  these  records  is  clear,  not  only 
from  this  law,  but  from  many  other  similar  in- 
stitutions. The  conclusion  sets  before  us  a  defi- 
nite lawgiving  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  which 
commences  with  the  new  census  in  chap.  xxvi. 
[These  are  thfl  commandments  and  the 
judgments.  The  words  include  all  that  was 
enacted  after  the  Israelites  reached  the  plains 
of  Moab,  and  to  which  the  history  of  Balaam 
serves  as  an  introduction.  Keil:  "  He,  places 
the  lawgiving  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  the  side 
of  the  lawgiving  at  Mount  Sinai  (Lev.  xxvi.  46  ; 
xxvii.  34),  and  brings  it  to  a  close,  though  with- 
out in  any  «¥ay  implying  that  the  explanation 
(1N3  Deut.  i.  5)  further  development  and 
hortatory  enforcement  of  the  law  and  its  statutes 
and  juJEmeuis,  which  follow  in  Deuteronomy, 
are  not  of  Mosaic  origin." 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

The  book  of  Numbers  closes  with  an  appa- 
rently incidental  and  unimportant  regulation  of 
the  law:  but  here  as  with  the  analogous  inci- 
dents of  the  blasphemer  (Lev.  xxiv.  10)  and  th« 


192 


NUMBERS. 


history  of  the  Sabb;ith-breaker  (chap.  xv.  32),  a 
great  universal,  tlieocratic  tiiouglit  is  brought 
out  and  presented  under  a  particular  aud  iso- 
lated historical  fact.  In  the  first  case  it  is  the 
holiness  of  the  name  of  Jehovah,  as  He  is  the 
covenant  God  of  Israel,  and  represents  the  Israel- 
itish  religion  itself;  in  the  second  case  it  is  the 
sacredness  of  the  Sabbath  as  the  central  point 
of  the  Israelitish  religious  service,  its  worship 
and  its  feasts ;  while  here  it  is  the  thought  of 
the  sacredness  of  the  Israelitish  inheritance  in 
its  division  among  the  tribes — in  a  typical  sense 
the  unchangeable  and  everlasting  assurance  of 
the  divine  inheritance  for  the  people  of  God,  in 
its  consecrated  membership. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

The  secure  position  of  the  tribes  by  the  law. 
The  sacred  nature  of  family,  tribal  and  national 
types.  The  species  of  animals,  not  to  speak  of 
the  races  of  men,  a  thought  of  God.  This  true 
even  of  the  characteristics  of  individuals.  Still 
this  definiteness  does  not  exclude  the  growth  of 


new  national  types,  for  the  creative  power  of 
God  is  still  working  in  the  existing  world,  as  is 
evident  from  every  individuality  as  a  new  mi- 
crocosmic  creation.  (Traducianism,  creation- 
ism  and  the  theory  of  pre-existence  are  only 
relatively  true.)  The  relegation  of  the  divine 
creative  energy  to  the  inconceivable  past  is 
opposed  to  the  belief  in  the  living  God.  God, 
in  His  wisdom,  joins  the  living  principle  to  the 
genealogical  pre-conditions,  and  preserving  the 
original  types,  forms  new  varieties. 

[Here,  however,  we  must  not  lose  sight  of 
the  reason  of  this  ppecial  provision,  in  any 
statement  of  a  general  law  with  respect  to  the 
permanence  of  types,  in  consistency  with  the 
origin  and  growth  of  new  varieties.  The  provi- 
sion here,  like  all  the  other  arrangements  pecu- 
liar to  the  Jewish  people,  lies  enclosed  in  the 
ends  for  which  that  people  existed.  It  was 
necessary  to  the  ends  designed,  and  is  to  be 
considered,  1.  In  its  connection  with  the  whole 
genealogical  history  and  life  of  the  people,  and 
2.  In  its  typical  bearing,  with  respect  to  the 
inheritance  of  God's  people. — A.  G.] 


Date  Ehie 

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BS494.L276V.3C.2 

Numbers :  or,  the  fourth  book  of  Moses 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00037  7608 


